Behind the facade of the Palais Taglioni at Französische Strasse 32 lies the story of the Borchardt family, which serves as a reflection of German history and Jewish life in 19th-century Berlin. The Borchardt family moved from Halberstadt to Pomerania at the end of the 17th century and then to Berlin at the beginning of the 19th century, where they converted to Christianity. The family includes leaders of the regional Jewish community, manufacturers, bankers, lawyers, diplomats, writers, and a painter. Baptism and assimilation did not prevent family members from being murdered in the Nazi extermination camps. In 1996, the last member of this branch of the family passed away. The restoration of the grave site of Max Siegfried Borchardt's family at the Old Dorotheenstadt Cemetery in Berlin sparked the exploration of this fascinating and tragic history.