“May the noblest and most lasting effects emanate from the new house of God on the whole community.” These words, once vibrant with hope, now echo with a chilling irony before the ehemalige Synagoge Grunewald Plaque.
This plaque marks the spot where the Synagoge Grunewald once stood. It’s more than just a historical marker. It’s a testament to a shattered community and a reminder of unspeakable loss.
The Synagoge Grunewald’s story began after World War I. A group of local Jews formed the Synagogenverein Grunewald. In 1923, the Verein acquired this property. It housed a former restaurant and dance hall. The building was then converted into a synagogue.
On Rosh Hashanah in September 1923, the Synagoge Grunewald opened its doors. The private Synagogenverein had 80 members then. Before the Synagoge Grunewald was completed, services were held at the home of Willy Abramczyk. He was the Verein’s first chairman. The Synagogenverein also opened a religious school. It was located at Delbrückstraße 20.
From 1925 to 1936, Dr. Emil Bernhard Cohn served as the rabbi. He led the Synagoge Grunewald’s conservative congregation. In 1929, the Jüdische Gemeinde Berlin took over the Synagoge Grunewald.
But the Synagoge Grunewald’s existence was brutally cut short. During the Pogromnacht on November 9, 1938, the synagogue was set ablaze. Nazis destroyed the Synagoge Grunewald. The ruins were finally removed in 1941.
Pause for a moment. Imagine the scene that night. The air thick with smoke. Flames engulfing the beloved Synagoge Grunewald. The sounds of shattering glass. The terrified cries of a community under attack. All of this happened right here where the ehemalige Synagoge Grunewald Plaque stands.
The Bronzetafel you see before you was unveiled on November 8, 1988. The sculptor Ernst Kraas created it. It replaced an earlier, smaller plaque. The original plaque read: “Here a Jewish house of God, the Synagoge Grunewald, was destroyed on November 9, 1938, through lack of understanding.”
Look closely at the plaque. Notice the inscription. “An dieser Stelle stand einst die Synagoge Grunewald.” It translates to: “In this place once stood the Synagoge Grunewald.” The plaque also shows a flat relief of the Synagoge Grunewald.
In 2003, information panels were installed at the nearby bus stop. One panel features a photograph of the Synagoge Grunewald. It notes that the Synagogenverein Grunewald converted a villa built around 1900 into a synagogue with 400 seats. The other panel highlights the significant Jewish population in Wilmersdorf during the Weimar Republic. It mentions Rabbi Dr. Emil Bernhard Cohn.
The ehemalige Synagoge Grunewald Plaque and the accompanying information panels serve as a vital reminder. They ensure that the story of the Synagoge Grunewald and its community is never forgotten. They stand as a silent promise. Never again.