New Synagogue

from the audio walk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets

Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets

80 Stations
254:05 min Audio
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New Synagogue

“Welcome to the New Synagogue in Berlin.
Even from the outside, the large golden dome catches the eye. It was intended to signal: This is a
special place—proud and radiant, almost like the sun shining down upon the city. The dome
symbolizes the significance of the Jewish community in Berlin—strong, visible, and
unmistakable.
The synagogue opened in 1866. At the time, it was the largest in Germany; it could seat more than
3,000 people. It was a place for prayer, study, and
gathering—a true hub of Jewish life.
In November 1938, something terrifying occurred. Almost every synagogue in Germany
was destroyed. Yet, the New Synagogue was spared. Why? A courageous police officer,
Wilhelm Krützfeld, stood his ground against the arsonists and invoked the building’s
protected heritage status. It was a true miracle in dark times.
During the Second World War, the synagogue was severely damaged. Afterward, it lay in ruins.
Throughout the GDR era in East Berlin, the synagogue’s ruins stood in silence. No major
restoration work was undertaken. Parts of the destroyed structure were demolished, while others
remained standing as ruins—a silent memorial in the heart of Berlin. Many people in the
GDR walked past it without a second thought, yet for others, it served as a quiet place of remembrance.
Following reunification in the 1990s, reconstruction began. Today, the
building houses the Centrum Judaicum. Here, you can view exhibitions, attend concerts,
and experience the history of the Jewish community firsthand.
As you look up at the dome, remember this: It stands for pride, courage, and the
survival of a community. This golden dome tells a story of its own—a story of
light amidst the darkness of Berlin.”

Bild: Von Emile Pierre Joseph De Cauwer - Zeugnisse jüdischer Kultur, Erfurt, 1992 ISBN 3-350-00780-5, Seite 143, Abbildung aus: Märkisches Museum Berlin, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3453194
Bild: Von Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S78682 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5369567
Bild: Von Carl Heinrich Eduard Knoblauch - https://architekturmuseum.ub.tu-berlin.de/P/145907.php, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83437495

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Other stops on this audio tour:

A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Red City Hall (2:30 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Friedrichstadt-Palast (4:02 min) • Dorotheenstadt Cemetery (2:25 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park (3:43 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Hirschhof (2:41 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)

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