Berlin: area by area - North of the Centre - The New Synagogue

The New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, which houses the Centrum Judaicum, is one of the most important locations for Jewish life in Berlin. It functions as a synagogue with egalitarian worship.
At the same time it also hosts changing exhibitions and one permanent exhibition, "Open ye the gates – The New Synagogue 1866–1995", which recounts the history of the synagogue itself and the associated history of Jewish life in Berlin. The building also contains an extensive archive of Jewish history.
The building in Moorish style was constructed from 1859–66 to plans by Eduard Knoblauch: the ingenious steel construction of its galleries and roof and the graceful architectural styling made it a highpoint of contemporary engineering and architecture.In the large nave and on the galleries, there were seats for up to 3000 worshippers.
A large, golden dome, which could be seen from far and wide, crowned the building; the building's façade, with its magnificent ornamented brickwork, is flanked by two towers which also boast golden domes.
On the "Night of Broken Glass" in 1939, the spirited action of the chief of the local police precinct prevented the infliction of serious damage on the synagogue.
In 1943, the building was severely damaged in air raids, and in 1958 the main chamber of the synagogue was demolished.
The foundation stone of the reconstructed building was laid on 9 November 1988, exactly 50 years after the "Night of Broken Glass", and the New Synagogue was rededicated in 1995.
The actual synagogue chamber was not reconstructed. On the open space which remains, and which can be viewed as part of a guided tour, eight marble pillars mark the site of the ark according to the original foundations, conveying the dimensions of the original synagogue and the extent of the loss.