The German Colony (HaMoshava HaGermanit) (Hebrew: המושבה הגרמנית‬) was established in Haifa in 1868 by the German Templers. It was the first of several colonies established by the group in the Holy Land. Others were founded in Sarona near Jaffa, Galilee and Jerusalem.

​

The Templers, a religious Protestant sect formed in southern Germany in the 19th century, settled in Israel at the urging of their leader, Christoph Hoffmann, in the belief that living in the Holy Land would hasten the second coming of Christ. The Templers built a colony in keeping with strict urban planning principles and introduced local industries that brought modernity here, which had long been neglected by the Ottomans. They were the first to organize regular transportation services between Jaffa, Acre and Nazareth.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​