Jewish Museum in Munich
The Jewish Museum in Munich has been inaugurated in March 2007.
It is located at St.-Jakobs-Platz, adjacent to Viktualienmarkt and
Marienplatz, in the very centre of Munich.
St.-Jakobs-Platz has long been under construction, but now appears re-designed and forms the Jewish center of Munich.
The architecture is very modern and symbolic, an impression you shouldn't miss when visiting our beautiful city.
Three important buildings surround the place:
First and most impressive, the new main synagogue. The lower part reminds of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, whereas the upper part shows transparency in steel and glass.
Independently if you like the style of the synagogue or not, it has certainly become a landmark of Munich and sets standards in modern architecture. It was completed in November 2006, more than sixty years after the November pogrom and the destruction of the city's synagogues.
Second, the Jewish Community Center that is run by the Jewish community in Munich.
It is a meeting place for the community and provides additional services like a kindergarten, an elementary school, a youth center, administration, auditoriums and a restaurant.
The photo was taken during inauguration; normally you don't see long queues of people waiting :-)
Third, and probably most interesting for tourists, the
Jewish Museum.
The ground floor is surrounded by glass that not only serves as windows, but also belongs to the exhibition itself: Testimonials from different persons have been written onto the glass in English and German.
Before visiting the museum, you should walk around the building and read the different notes.
At first I was a bit disappointed by the museum, because the inside is rather sober with grey concrete walls,
but after visiting the permanent exhibition I changed my mind.
With innovative ideas like the map of Munich and movable signboards you get to know episodes in the life of real Jewish persons who lived in Munich. If you put the signboard onto the right spot on the map, you'll also see the corresponding picture on the screen.
Apart from the permanent exhibition in the basement, there are always temporary exhibitions in the 1st and 2nd floor. It's
definitely worth visiting and the Jewish Museum is one of the few museums in Munich that has all explanations
translated into English.
No need to find a German speaking guide who translates everything for you :-)