The years-long, more than €8 million restoration of the Carlebach synagogue in the city of Lübeck, in northern Germany, has been completed, but the gala reopening this month — which would have included the ceremonial placement of Torah scrolls — has had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 crisis. No new date has yet been set.
Dignitaries planning to join members of the local Jewish community at the ceremony had included President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany Josef Schuster, Federal Culture Minister Monika Grütters, and Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther, as well as the former S-H prime minister Peter Harry Carstensen, now the state’s point man combating antisemitism.
Built in 1880 and designed by local architect Ferdinand Münzenberger as an impressive Moorish-style building with a towering dome, the Carlebach Synagogue was damaged but not burned down on Kristallnacht.
Its dome and other elaborate exterior elements, however,were destroyed, removed or simplified, and the building now is a rather austere-looking red brick structure. In 1994 the synagogue was firebombed by neo-Nazis. Its condition deteriorated in subsequent years.
Restoration work began in in 2014 under the direction of architect Thoman Schroder-Berkentien but was halted in 2015 due to funding issues.
As we reported in 2016, the Federal government earmarked €2.5 million for the project, enabling it to proceed. Other funding came from the Schleswig-Holstein state and the Lübeck-based Possehl Foundation. Total costs were estimated at €8.3.
The exterior renovation, including replacement of windows and installation of a new roof, was completed in 2017. The interior work has included full restoration of the sanctuary with restoration or reconstruction of the women’s galleries, decoration, and furnishings. Security systems have also been put into place.
Also, wrote the Jüdische Allgemeine:
In the prayer room of the synagogue, artisans and historians discovered artistically painted wooden capitals, wall paintings and Hebrew inscriptions in the apse. The women’s gallery on the first floor has picturesque carved balustrades. There is also ample space for a cultural hall, community rooms, consulting room, office and rabbi apartment and on the third floor for a youth center.
Lübeck today has a Jewish community with an estimate 650-700 members.
See information about the synagogue on the Lübeck Jewish community web site
Watch a 3D video by Israel’s Lavi Furniture about the reconstruction of the ark in the Lübeck synagogue:
4 comments on “Germany update: €8.3 million Restoration of Lübeck’s Carlebach synagogue is complete but inauguration ceremony postponed due to Coronavirus crisis”
This is incredible. Would love to attend but will not be there. My great grandfather was the non- Carlebach Rabbi that lived in that apartment over the synagogue- the last Rabbi to live there at all, in fact, Rabbi David Alexander Winter.
i’m one of manny manny grand-grand childeren of RABBI SHLOMO CARLIBACH.
mt garnd-mother was his 11daughter.
my father calld Alexander, was her second son. he was born on 10 October 1912.
the left Lubeck afteer his grandfather, RABBI SHLOMO CARLIBSCH died, to Hamburg.
we have manny manny stories reminds from the childhood of the fammilly.
we will be very very happy to be as visitors when the celebration will be in the synagouge.
My father was born in Lubeck in 1912 and celebrated his barmitzvah in this synagogue. Rabbi Carlebach was the Rov there for many years and later became the Chief Rabbi of Hamburg.
I have visited Lubeck on numerous occasions since 1980 and always made sure to go to that synagogue and to the Jewish cemetery in Moisling, which is now a suburb of that beautiful city, to visit the graves of my ancestors (the Wurzburg family, who have been laid to rest there since the early 1700s. I hope to attend the re-dedication ceremony.
All credit and thanks to those who worked on this project – you have done a fantastic job and recreated a historical and holy site in Lubeck.
We were in Lubeck on October 19 and we wanted to see the synagogue, but it was only possible to view the exterior at that time. We’d love to return someday and see the interior.