Günter Archenhold is forced out of office due to his Jewish origin by the Nazis.
The family is also ousted from the observatory, their life's work, under the most shameful of circumstances. The observatory was transferred without compensation to the possession of the city of Berlin and subordinated to the school administration.
A civil servant became administrative chairman, who was completely unacquainted with astronomy. The observatory was closed due to construction work.
Up till then, the observatory had a total number of 2,666,567 visitors, since its opening.
F.S. Archenhold died in Berlin on the 14th of October, 1939. Archenhold’s wife Alice and their daughter Hilde died in the concentration camp Theresienstadt. The sons Günter and Horst found refuge and were able to emigrate to England.