Synagogues in Germany

From June 11 to September 19, 2021, the NS Documentation Center is showing the exhibition "Synagogues in Germany - A Virtual Reconstruction" created by the Technical University of Darmstadt in cooperation with the NS Documentation Center.

For more than 25 years, synagogues that were destroyed during the Nazi era have been virtually reconstructed at the TU Darmstadt in order to demonstrate the cultural loss and beauty of the synagogue architecture that once existed in Germany. At the same time, the importance of the synagogues for the cityscape should be honored and remembered. Synagogues from 21 cities have been reconstructed so far and can be seen in the exhibition.

Sign against antisemitism
The reconstructions were created as a reaction to the attack by neo-Nazis on the synagogue in Lübeck in 1994. In 2019 an attack was carried out on the synagogue in Halle. These acts show how openly and brutally anti-Semites and right-wing radicals are once again acting in our society. The exhibition wants to set an example. It virtually resurrects the largely unknown splendor of synagogues that were destroyed during the Nazi era. In doing so, it also makes a contribution to the anniversary year "1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany".

Projections, animations and virtual reality
The core of the exhibition are virtual reconstructions that convey the former beauty of the synagogues with projections, animations and virtual reality - the Cologne Synagogue Glockengasse is also the focus of the presentation. Analogue exhibition elements complement the digital. They tell the story of Jewish sacred buildings from the temple to the synagogue and trace the process of progressive exclusion and persecution of Jews during the Nazi era. In the film, eyewitnesses describe how they experienced this development as young people.

The exhibition also turns to the present: synagogues are shown that were newly built in Germany after 1945, and film portraits tell people what they associate with the topic of synagogues, with their synagogues, in 2021. Furthermore, the show wants to arouse curiosity about the diverse 1700-year-old Jewish culture in Germany. At the same time, it raises awareness for dealing with German history and Jewish life today.