Berlin NEUE SYNAGOGE (New Synagogue)
The Neue Synagoge or New Synagogue was built between 1859 and 1866 to serve as the primary synagogue of the Jewish Community in Berlin. At the time of its construction, it was the biggest synagogue in Germany. It can accommodate 3,000 people serving the increasing Jewish population in Germany particularly those who come from the East. There were approximately 160,000 Jewish citizens in 1933.
It is considered to be architecturally significant due to its similarity to the Alahambra in Granada, Spain. Its eastern Moorish style was designed by Eduard Knoblauch. Knoblauch wasn’t able to continue working on the project due to his illness which made Friedrich August Stüler responsible for the construction of the building. Stüler took charge in planning and designing the interior. The synagogue was consecrated in the presence of Count Otto von Bismarck during Rosh ha-Shanah in 1866. It is called the New Synagogue because there was a former synagogue located in Heidereutergasse.
The building became the venue for public concerts, one of which was a violin concert with Albert Einstein performed 1930. Services were done in the building until it was confiscated by the Nazis in 1940 and was almost totally destroyed by Allied bombings in 1943. The building was badly damaged before and throughout the Second World War until it was renovated and developed again.
The New Synagogue is the current location for the Centrum Judaicum Foundation. It was founded in 1995 and serves as an institution that works for the maintenance of the structure and the conservation of Jewish memory and tradition. Additionally, it acts as a community congregation centre for teachings and studies.
The only parts of the building which survived the war are the front wall with the dome, two pavilions, and several rooms. These parts of the building were restored at the end of the 19th century as carried out by the Centrum Judaicum Foundation. New rooms were built covering the destroyed parts and connected to the remaining original structure.
Today the museum and information centre hosts the permanent exhibition of history of Jewish community in Berlin. Torahs and scrolls excavated during the restoration of the structure are now available for viewing in the museum’s exhibits. A prayer room is also open for the public with diverse seating in the reformed Judaism tradition.The New Synagogue currently conducts Jewish services to Berlin’s Jewish community. It is now considered as the sole Masorti synagogue. A glass and steel structure is used to secure what remains of the former synagogue. The original ground plan dimensions of the original building can be viewed through a traced perimeter to indicate the size of the ruined section.
Several guided tours are available on site to view the open space behind the restored façade of the building. Pre-booked requests for group tours is also available. Tourists and visitors can check out the permanent and temporary exhibitions and have a special guided tour of the Jewish life in the surrounding area in the New Synagogue. These tours are available from March to October. The magnificent dome can also be visited while the offices are located in the building.