In 1859, construction of the New Synagogue (Neue Synagoge) began in Berlin. The architectural design, created by Eduard Knoblauch and Friedrich August Stüler, was executed in the Moorish style. Construction lasted nearly 7 years, and in September 1866, the largest Jewish temple in Berlin—and indeed all of Germany—was finally opened: the synagogue had more than 3,000 seats. Moreover, this Jewish temple was one of the most beautiful in Europe. Due to its eastern Moorish style and resemblance to the Alhambra, the New Synagogue is an important architectural monument in Germany.
By the mid-19th century, the Jewish community in Berlin had grown significantly. By 1860, it numbered about 28,000 members. The only synagogue at that time, later called the "Old Synagogue," was located on Heidereutergasse, near Hackescher Markt in the Berlin-Mitte district, and it no longer had enough space. In 1856, the community purchased a plot of land on Oranienburger Straße, in a residential area with a strong Jewish presence. The building was designed by Eduard Knoblauch. Construction began after the laying of the first stone in the foundation on May 20, 1859. After Knoblauch’s death in 1865, Friedrich August Stüler continued the construction and completed the interior decoration. The finished synagogue was opened for the Jewish New Year on September 5, 1866—25 Elul 5626 according to the Jewish calendar. The ceremony was attended by the then Prime Minister of Prussia and later Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
The layout of the Berlin synagogue is based on the unique shape of the plot, which is elongated and positioned at an angle of about 15 degrees to the right along the longitudinal axis from Oranienburger Straße to the rear of the building. The synagogue on Oranienburger Straße is the earliest example of combining a facade with two towers, domes, and a tripartite portal. The facade facing Oranienburger Straße features polychrome brickwork richly decorated with sculptural bricks and terracotta, highlighted by colored glazed bricks. The three-axial central section is framed by projecting side risalits with octagonal tower supports above the dome. Behind the entrance, the building’s alignment changes to correspond with previously existing structures. The synagogue’s main dome, with its gilded ribs, is an eye-catching landmark. The central dome is flanked by two smaller pavilion domes on the two side wings. For the dome’s form, the builder drew on Indo-Islamic architecture, with the Royal Pavilion in Brighton serving as a model.
Unlike the Old Synagogue, which was located on Heidereutergasse, the New Synagogue held services according to a liberal ritual—there was a mixed choir and an organ played. Reform of the ritual became an inevitable part of the integration process. It was necessary to adapt and optimize Jewish traditions considering the changed living conditions of Jews and the surrounding society. Until 1938, the position was held by the famous Rabbi Melvin Warschauer, who became renowned for his persuasive speeches; in particular, his mourning speech at Max Liebermann’s funeral became legendary—Warschauer delivered the speech under Gestapo supervision at the Schönhauser Allee cemetery. In 1939, Melvin Warschauer fled to London, where he later wrote his memoirs.
For example, in January 1930, Albert Einstein himself performed as a solo violinist in the synagogue. Since 1866, Louis Lewandowski, a well-known composer of synagogue Jewish music, worked in the synagogue. Louis was the first student of the Academy of Arts who, being Jewish, was admitted to the Prussian Academy of Arts. Moreover, he later became a professor.
A turning point in the history of the building was the period of persecution of Jews. During the nationwide pogroms on the night of November 9 to 10, 1938, members of the SA set fire to the New Synagogue. The head of the nearby police station No. 16, Wilhelm Krützfeld, opposed the arsonists, citing that the building was listed as an architectural monument. He called the fire brigade, which managed to extinguish the fire inside the building, thus saving the synagogue from destruction. As a result, the damage was minor, so from April 1939 to March 1940, services were still held there. Today, on the building’s facade, tourists, visitors, and passersby can see a memorial plaque commemorating the courage of an individual, and in 1992, Wilhelm Krützfeld was honored with a memorial grave at the diocesan parish cemetery in Weißensee.
After the fire’s consequences were eliminated, the New Synagogue was used again for services from April 1939. The dome had to be repainted with camouflage paint due to the threat of Allied air raids. After the last service in the small prayer hall on January 14, 1943, the Wehrmacht seized the building and turned it into a warehouse. The New Synagogue building was heavily damaged after Allied bombings during the Battle of Berlin, a series of British air raids that lasted from November 18, 1943, to March 25, 1944.
After the war, the few surviving Jews in the city founded a new Jewish community in the administrative building of the synagogue on Oranienburger Straße. The initial goal was to recreate suitable conditions for Jewish life in Berlin and, on the other hand, to prepare for the emigration of those who did not want to stay. In the summer of 1958, the damaged parts of the building were completely dismantled due to the risk of collapse and the impossibility of reconstruction. Only the street-facing building was preserved—as a monument to war and fascism.
It took craftsmen three years to restore the street facade—on September 5, 1991, the 125th anniversary of the first opening of this temple, the work was completed. Above the portal, the words of the prophet Isaiah could be seen again: "Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter." In the courtyard, a silhouette of the unreconstructed synagogue was constructed and presented as a ground-level sculptural complex. Black granite stones arranged in a semicircle mark the niche around the Torah ark, resembling a memorial monument.
In May 1995, the New Synagogue was opened for the second time in the center of the Jewish Berlin community. The golden dome, 50 meters high, became a symbol of Jewish traditions in the city. The reconstructed front part of the building with a vestibule, rotunda, exhibition rooms, representatives' hall, and conference hall now conveys the experience of Jewish life and heritage. In the right tower, in the basement, a mikveh, a ritual bath, was installed.
Since 1998, the synagogue has consisted of a chamber prayer hall located on the third floor of the former front building. Inside the Jewish Berlin community today, services are held, principles of equality between men and women are observed, the liturgy is performed in a modern and creative arrangement, and synagogue members are ready to participate in the development and organization of services.
Sources:
https://masimovasif.net/2021/08/08/новая-синагога-в-берлине/
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Новая_синагога_(Берлин)
