We are happy you found our project and showed interest on this topic.
This project commemorates the 180 communities and synagogues in East Germany, the so-called "Neue Bundesländer", i.e. the German states belonging to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) until Germany's reunification in 1989. While in West Germany Jewish-German history was researched late, but intensively, including research on local Jewish history (communities and synagogues) by individuals, associations and organizations, under the socialist regime of the GDR, no significant comprehensive research work has ever been conducted. The "Anti-Fascism"-ideology of the GDR had no place for the Jewish communities destroyed by Fascism.
German Jewry developed in the space of almost 2000 years. It took the Nazis only 12 years to destroy the prolific Jewish culture and communities and to murder ca. one third of German Jews, approximately half a million people of which already soon after the Nazis came to power. The memory of this - destroyed by the Nazis, forgotten on purpose by the Communists of the GDR - is in danger to be destroyed as well.
It is up to us, to commemorate the communities, the synagogues and the people in a dignified way, appropriate to our time. Modesty and respect to our German ancestors and to all murdered Jews mandates this.
The Synagogues Memorial "Beit Ashkenaz", under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Meir Schwarz and the engaged board is happy about any contribution helping to bring this project to conclusion. The texts of this website shall be brought to a printable form and be translated from the German into the English. The objective is to create a comprehensive memorial book that shall serve our children and their children as an important source.
We would be more than happy to give you and/or someone you would like to dedicate your donation to, name credit.
For further information feel free to contact us at: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!