“Pic of the Week”, June 5, 2020: New Synagogue, Berlin

02 New Synagogue, Berlin

Berlin’s Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue) was built between 1859 and 1866. It was the largest synagogue in Europe, with a capacity of 3,200 worshippers. It’s a beautiful building that was very unique for its time.  It has a Moorish appearance, its architect having been inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, and has spectacular gilded domes that can be seen for some distance.
The New Synagogue has an important history.  Jews in pre-WWII Germany were mostly well-integrated into Germany society.  That ended abruptly with the rise of Nazis.  The New Synagogue was damaged on Kristallnacht (November 9, 1938), when Nazis burned synagogues and destroyed the homes and businesses of Jews across Germany.  The New Synagogue was damaged by fire on Kristallnacht but …

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