WWII Germany

The Eagles nest, Dachau, Nurmberg

Berlin, hands down. My suggestions would be to go on some 3rd Reich tours. Most of the walking tour companies offer them. More information about what kind of things associated with WW2 you are looking for would be helpful.

Germany is a pretty big place. Will you be all over, or are you limiting yourself to an area, like Bavaria?

Most of the remaining evidence of WWII and the Nazi era is in what's missing, not in what's there. So, it would be difficult to make specific recommendations without having a specific region of focus.

Meredith, If I read your question correctly, you're interested in finding locations in Germany that are not concerned with WW-II? I would highly recommend having a look at the Germany 2012 Guidebook, as there's a LOT of good information there. You should be able to find a copy at your local Library, larger Bookstores or you can order from this website (click the "Books" tab at the top of the page). Note that the Guidebooks are also available as E-Books, in a variety of formats (ie: Kindle, iPad, etc.). A few locations you could consider - the Rhine in the vicinity of Bacharach and St. Goar (visit the ruins of Rheinfells Castle), Munich (tour Neuschwanstein or take a side trip into Salzburg which is the birthplace of Mozart or Hallstatt which has one of the oldest Salt Mines). There are LOTS of choices. Happy travels!

Nurnburg. A visit ot the Documentation center will give you a good insight to Hitler's rise.

If by "pre-WWII" you mean German cities relatively undamaged by the war, Heidelberg and Regensburg come to mind. In fact, Regensburg's medieval old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

My apologies to all for posting such a vague question! We will be in Northern Germany roughly Dusseldorf-Berliln. Would like to see a town not touched by bombs, a concentration camp, and maybe a modern town rebuilt after the war.
Thank you for your replies; I will be researching your suggestions. M

Meredith, I had assumed that by pre-WW II you meant a town that basically came through the war unscathed. That would mean the smaller cities/towns. For the distance between Düsseldorf and Berlin, I would visit Celle, north of Hannover, as the town that escaped war destruction. I've only changed trains at Celle, on the way north to Munster/Oertze, haven't really seen the town. Another town that basically came through unscathed is Hamelin. Depending on how far you want to deviate from the Düsseldorf-Berlin route, two other towns I recommend which avoided war damage are Meißen, near Dresden and in the north near Kiel the town of Eutin.

There are probably quite a few towns that were undisturbed by the bombing, but one of my favorites is Büdingen. It isn't quite on your route though. Looks like you have already gotten a few good suggestions though for other cities. Berlin is of course quite modern and the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is near-by. Well worth a visit.

Meredith, As you'll be in Berlin, I agree with Jo's suggestion to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. It's located in Orienenburg, which is a short train ride from Berlin. If you decide to visit Sachsnehausen, I'd highly recommend taking one of the excellent day tours with Original Berlin Walks (check their website for details). I was there last September, and found the tour very interesting. One point to note is that there's a short walk from the rail station to the entrance of the camp (should you have any "mobility issues"). Happy travels!

For modern, rebuilt cities, Düsseldorf and Berlin would fit the bill. For a city that escaped the war unscathed, Quedlinburg in Sachsen-Anhalt is more or less along your route of travel.