The Reichenbachstrasse synagogue in Munich reopened this week in a festive ceremony, nearly 87 years after it was destroyed by the Nazis.
The historic building was restored to its original form at a cost of about €14 million, initiated by journalist Rachel Salamander and lawyer Ron Yakubovich.
The synagogue was originally built in 1931 and was severely damaged on Kristallnacht in November 1938. The building was temporarily repaired in 1947 and served the community until the Great Synagogue, known as Ohel Yaakov, was completed in 2006, after which it remained abandoned.
The restoration began at the initiative of the Reichenbachstrasse Synagogue Association, established to restore the prewar heritage of Munich's Jewish community. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community in Munich and Bavaria, said the site will serve as "an open house for the community" and will make "Jewish history and the Jewish present visible to everyone."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attended the ceremony and was moved to tears during his speech. His voice shook when he said, "I want to tell you how ashamed I am, as chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, but also as a German, as a child of the postwar generation, as a child raised with 'never again' as a mandate."
The chancellor expressed concern about the rise in antisemitism in Germany and blamed previous governments, saying, "For too long, we in politics and society have turned a blind eye to the fact that a considerable number of the people who have come to Germany in recent decades were subjected to brainwashing in their countries of origin, antisemitism is effectively a state doctrine."
Merz declared firmly, "I declare war on every form of old and new antisemitism in Germany on behalf of every federal government." He expressed hope that Jewish life in Germany will one day proceed without the need for police protection.
Rachel Salamander, who led the restoration initiative, explained, "It is time to leave behind the oppressive atmosphere and the trauma of the postwar period, to make those who were cast out of history feel at home again. That means healing a piece of history."
Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter also attended the ceremony and emphasized the commitment to combating antisemitism and strengthening Jewish life in the region.