Ceremonial reopening: Munich’s Old Synagogue shines anew!

Ceremonial reopening: Munich’s Old Synagogue shines anew!

On September 15, 2025, the historic building on Reichenbachstrasse in Munich, the old synagogue, will be ceremoniously reopened. After years of painstaking restoration work, the synagogue designed in the New Objectivity style by architect Gustav Meyerstein shines in its former splendor from 1931. A ceremony in a historic atmosphere will attract prominent guests, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), as well as the President of the Jewish Community of Munich, Charlotte Knobloch, and the pianist Igor Levit. The architect's son, Emanuel Meyerstein, will also be present to celebrate this special moment.

The old synagogue has an eventful history behind it. In 1938 it was devastated by the National Socialists and then only repaired in a makeshift manner. From 1947 onwards it served as the main synagogue for the Jewish Community of Munich (IKG) and became the center of Jewish religious life in the city. But with the opening of the new main synagogue Ohel Jakob on November 9, 2006, the building became increasingly neglected and remained until the “Synagoge Reichenbachstraße e. V.” association was founded. empty in 2013. Dr. Rachel Salamander and attorney Ron Jakubowicz campaigned vigorously to save the listed building.

A monument to Jewish history

The reopening of the synagogue is not only an architectural event, but also an important step towards the preservation of Jewish culture in Munich. The restoration will restore the original color scheme that is characteristic of Meyerstein's work. The construction costs total 12.6 million euros, with the city of Munich, the Free State of Bavaria and the federal government each taking 30 percent into account. The association raises the remaining 10 percent through private donations.

In addition to restoring the building, the association is keen to use the synagogue again in the future for church services and religious celebrations such as weddings or bar and bat mitzvahs. Educational and cultural activities will also take place there to convey the rich Jewish history and culture. The aim is to create a place for learning and meeting in order to keep Jewish life in the city alive.

Jewish building culture in Germany

The reopening of the synagogue also underlines the importance of Jewish architecture in Germany. Jewish life has been documented here for over 1,700 years and has produced numerous important buildings. History shows how crucial the preservation of these buildings is for the identity of future generations. Dr. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, emphasizes that restored Jewish buildings play an important role in raising awareness of Jewish history.

The monument protection preserves important evidence of the Jewish past, which also applies to the old synagogue on Reichenbachstrasse. This reopening is not just a local event, but a celebration of the cultural heritage that has something to say to us all. It shows how important it is to preserve history and culture, especially at a time when memories of past experiences can be brought back to life.

From now on, the old synagogue will once again be a place of encounter and spiritual life for all Munich residents. This makes it clear that despite the challenges of history, ways to preserve and renew can also be found.

For more information about the history of the synagogue and its restoration, you can read the reports on synagoge-reichenbach.de as well as on monumente-online.de read up. The current development and the reopening ceremony are also up juedische- Allgemeine.de to pursue.