NEUE SYNAGOGE, Neue Synagoge

Hi, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Neue Synagoge.

The Neue Synagoge is the largest place of worship for Jews in Germany.

What you see today is an exact reconstruction of the original synagogue, which was destroyed by British bombs in 1943. The building was designed by the architect Eduard Knoblauch in the Moorish Revival style that was very much in vogue for synagogues in the 19th century because it was reminiscent of the Middle-Eastern origins of the Jews.

The model for synagogues at the time was the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the splendid, magnificent complex of palaces built in the 13th century by Sultan Muhammad ibn Nasr.

What you’ll notice immediately is the marvelous, glittering dome, one of the landmarks of the Scheunenviertel neighborhood and more generally, the skyline of Berlin....