It was once the largest and most magnificent synagogue in germany. A palace of faith a temple of understanding. Beneath its gilded dome fragments of the past disaggregated torah scrolls mysterious inscriptions. And charred remnants of darker times. The noirs in a gold or new synagogue in the heart of berlin paris testimony to a bygone era. The shimmering dome is visible for miles around the synagogue on iranian birth the is a magnet for tourists a landmark and a solemn or. Built as a house of worship more than 150 years ago its a jewel of the city. Yet it was almost lost on november 9th 1938 kristallnacht the night of broken glass when thousands of synagogues across germany were set ablaze. Doctor is on his way home near the station he sees the facade in the synagogue and claims. The administrative director of a song he preaches hospital rushes back to work. His hospital is directly next to the synagogue us and sure enough here to the starting a fire. Calls the police and threatens to sue the flames our media. Critic police chief. Hesitates only for a 2nd and that springs into action. He hurried to the synagogue brandishing a gun it said he single handedly pushed a officers and the jury. And had the flames extinguished. From precinct number 16 prevented the synagogues destruction and unexpectedly became the sole hero of this story but there were others. This is. For precinct 16 did indeed launch the Emergency Operation in 200 members it was a unique precinct in that most of its officers had been transferred there as a punitive measure before 933 theyd been affiliated with the social Democratic Party these were officers who were opposed to the nazis and could serve as was their boss but he couldnt have done it without his men by. The city guard survive the pogrom night with burn marks but still standing. In the rotunda of the now restored entrance we meet conservationist robert gray fought and the founding director of the new synagogue foundation. The exact sequence of events that night is still unknown what is clear is that as a troops ran riot in the synagogue pushing over prayer benches urinating on torah rolls smashing windows but we didnt and over there the panes have all been reinstalled with legs whats left of them and here its glued into place. Fragments of the past with tales to tell. For decades the image of the iranian the synagogue in flames was emblematic of the november programme. Is in fact thats not quite true many synagogues were set on fire this one here on a run in to these us but this photo here which became symbolic for the burning synagogues in november 1038 is fake it was retouched in the early postwar years after. The search for us fenech relics of the past leads to the cellar and the store rooms that house forgotten treasures. Such as unmarked film. Along with other things they also tell of the life of jewish people in central berlin not far from iranian burgher strawson this was the socalled shrine in futile a barn district home to Eastern European jews who fled here in the late 1900 century. Neural xander plots. They were marginalized community. With moments of distinct pride. And small prayer rooms tucked away behind in conspicuous stores. These kind of lovers relief and porcelain figures belonged to the iran and the synagogue. In november 943 bombs dropped in a british air raid cause Severe Damage not just to the dome what had been germanys largest synagogue was critically hit. 15 years later authorities of communist east germany had the main synagogue and central prayer room the very heart of the structure demolished. To this day only an outline in the void recalls the beauty last. Until. The summer of each 157. 00 claimed architect eduardo plough is at his wits end for years hes been discussing plans for the new synagogue for the Jewish Community the old one is too small but how do they expect him to align the prayer halls toward jerusalem on this crooked plot of land and why not design it in the fashionable morris style. Germanys Jewish Community wants a magnificent building but its also wary of provoking resentment. How can you square the circle. At that time berlin was booming and the Jewish Community too was flourishing. In the mid 1900 century 28000 lived in the persian capital alone where they felt welcomed by king for additional home the 4th. And so construction for a splendid new synagogue was soon underway. The new synagogue was built at a time when jewish people were becoming german citizens. And game industry. They took part in the citys Economic Growth started questioning their identity palace to themselves. As it happens a palace of liberality passed out. Behind the tent. The new synagogue was consecrated on september 5th 866. 00 to widespread acclaim among those impressed was also from bismarck the pression Prime Minister and leader 1st chancellor of the german empire. But the polish will building divided the community Orthodox Jews were appalled calling it a theater not a house for quiet worship. Many liberal minded jews on the other hand believed german jews should design buildings in the german fashion. Either way the construction that was both adored and afford was forever lost now its once again made visible in this virtual reconstruction. The synagogue stoked contempt among anti semites how dare they one of them the historian heinrich from trade complained to his wife. The biggest and most impressive church in the german capital is a synagogue i mean this not reproach of the jews but of the christians. In 886. 00 the synagogue was a clear statement the Jewish Community was part of germany. Above the entrance in hebrew the biblical quotation. The gates of the righteous nation which keep it the truth make entering. To preserve jewish identity and foster openness that was the founders vision. Isnt simply sentiment was here in the center for lin we have an open mind we dont just practice tolerance in the streets in the synagogue we ourselves represent this openness so it was an expression of confidence were right in the middle of things were part of you we are berliners is a billy no. Today berlins Jewish Community would also want the building to appear welcoming its a major tourist attraction. But security gates and Police Protection reveal how fragile this openness is. As the seat of the center in judea confound ation its a place of remembrance a museum and a research institute. And it bears witness to the synagogues beginnings. But in 1900 the synagogue was a Lively Center of jewish religious life a popular place to celebrate weddings or bar mitzvahs and drawing thousands of worshippers to services on religious holidays. Tourists also came to admire it among them the writers. Lewis carroll and mark twain. Concert to work always sold out like this one on a rediscovered recording of the synagogue choir from 1932. The synagogue was a special place to root of engelmann she lived on the outskirts of berlin but sometimes her grandfather would take her along to visit the new synagogue. Ringback ringback biased the stick was i remember my grandparents had rented 2 seats in the synagogue on a run you bush asa easy commuted to that that was common practice among the Business Owners to have reserved seats. So i got to go to the synagogue with my grandparents on certain holidays that it was a fit was always a special occasion when our grandparents took one of the grandchildren along buttons 1st visit and my grandfather would say im only taking root with me because such as he is out than he would you wouldnt it. Was was. After the nazis seized power the synagogue increasingly became a place for berlins Jewish Population to withdraw and find refuge on an island of normalcy. Here it was as if things had stayed the same. The seeding order during services was still strictly regulated to. The synagogue was a spiritual religious and cultural anchor with well attended concerts and Memorial Services for jewish soldiers who had fallen in the 1st world war. In 1933 berlin was home to more than 160000 jews across germany they numbered over half a 1000000. Most hoped the worst would soon pass if the nazis were only acting out in their 1st flush of victory. People sat in cafes enjoying the sun and the economic upswing. But this situation deteriorated rapidly. In 1935 as the discriminatory nuremberg laws were passed. Jewish citizens and those who stood by them now faced systematic exclusion even in berlin. Is coming but he knew there had been several attempts to instigate a parliament berlin they were all plotted by the rabbit antisemite berlins regional leader or. Gifty who was also the propaganda minister he was a state park on a minister of foreign parts they were born by the fact that gurgles was bothered by the fact that the number of jewish businesses in berlin hadnt dropped significantly in the movie looking in smaller communities many jewish businesses have been forced to shut down in 19333435 i think i see from the answer when they were able to survive a lot longer there was even an influx of new trades people from the smaller communities because the capital was thought to be a safe haven mine not that he. Shoots so high sunshine. But it wasnt in the early summer of 1938 goebbels redoubled his efforts. At the ministry of propaganda he held a speech for 300 Police Officers afterwards he noted in his diary i really he did things up got them to forget all sentimentality the jews must be driven out of berlin. A wave of violence against jews followed. It lasted until june 24th 1938 then suddenly it stopped on hitlers orders. Planning to annex parts of czechoslovakia he needed to deflect International Outrage against germany but the goal to drive the jews out of the country remained. In october 19th 38 the nazis arrested and deported 17000 jews with polish troops to the polish border. Among them the relatives of hershel greenspun. On november 7th in paris 17 year old grange by one shot the german legation councillor s. From riot dead at close range the assassination gave goebbels the perfect excuse to orchestrate spontaneous revenge in his diary he wrote rubble in all major cities the synagogues are in flames a raging fury this murder will cost the jews dearly and berlin 51015. 00 synagogues have burned down the whole nation is an uproar. Finkleman was 10 years old at the time on the morning of november 10th she was making her way from her home in the suburbs to the Jewish School for girls in central berlin. Today but not believing time portals that you may have to go and things grew worse the further we made our way into the city. And garden schlosser we saw it as a man flogging a small jewish businessman. And marking the star of david on his black coat. And of course it was working well but i wasnt afraid i was right by my dad he says and he my party. When they arrived at her school and right next to the synagogue all seemed peaceful. Her father was relieved. They think im an insured on board but didnt try and i went inside but we were immediately met by our principal so 9 he told us not to go to our classrooms but straight to the auditorium for hosea shy and suddenly we heard shouting and a terrible uproar then an essay and s. S. Barricaded the entrances to the school and. We were trapped inside the. Vehicle and our principal said now were going to do something new that i had never prayed in my school its just not something we have or did but on that day we all sat together when we degraded home but lets. Get. The then the children were sent up to the attic. It was connected by a passageway to the neighboring building the escaped without side they witnessed devastation and chaos on the streets across the country the program resulted in 7 and a half 1000 jewish owned businesses ransacked 30000 jews arrested 1300 murdered or dead by their own hand. In april 1939 the synagogue an iranian burger strawson reopened for passover. Traces of the fire were still visible when rabbi marc walked in. My heart was racing i wasnt just entering a desecrated house of god in the middle of a European Capital i was stepping into the history of 2000 years appalled grams and arson attacks. I was almost overcome with emotions. From total despair to raging defiance. But above the shrine we spotted a miracle. The near tommy the flame of the eternal life was still burning. As it shone through november 9th and 10th and all the months after it was an unforgettable sight a symbol and a message and 1. 5 months later world war 2 erupted. Into to feast on jewish new year and september 939 the order came to paint over all of the domes while services were still being held inside and i feel like my father i believe was here and told me all about it later and leave the. The synagogue skilled domes were painted over there was no glimmer in the darkness. The night turned black. The. End inside. Rezoned and for the last time in the final service on march 30th 1940. Then the synagogue was shut down. The german army moved in using the main hall as a warehouse to store their mocked uniforms. Religious services were still held in secret next door. The last one took place even as outside the nazis were accelerating the deportation of jews. May 1st 1903 a special day for. 13 years old and is celebrating his bar mitzvah the jewish coming of age ritual for boys to. His mother and the rabbi have gathered in the cellar of honey and toss the number 31 the ceremony must be brief and secret vianna and his mother have been living underground for months. d d d the prayer book the sea do or the van or monks received for his bar mitzvah survived. It still bears the rabbis dedication. For decades there was no knowledge of what went on next door to the synagogue then during Renovation Construction workers found inscriptions underneath the wallpaper in a storage room. In the autumn of 1943 the gestapo had created prison cells for 200. 00 inmates in these rooms. The inscriptions had been scratched into the wall by prisoners fearfully awaiting their interrogation. The 17 year old jewish girl was among those interned here. A serb forced labor she was arrested in berlin in september of 1904 charges she was thrown into a small cell with 23. 00 inmates decades later she described the conditions with. The cruelest of all where the s. S. Women when we were brought to an interrogation we had to pass through a doorway blocked by a heavy bar madam sergeant favorite thing to do was to lift the bar and then let it crash down over us as we passed while we were nearly passing out in pain she would just sit there and laugh. If the prisoners screamed no one could hear them here in the former storage rooms of the Jewish Museum. Up until november 1938 the Jewish Museum next to the synagogue had exhibited hundreds of paintings drawings and sculptures and thousands of photographs rare manuscripts and ritual objects. But on november 10th the museum was sealed off a guard was placed outside the valuable collection disappeared for years. It included the works by Marx Lieberman after the war an operation was launched to locate the works some have still not been found. Youre. Here in the process synagogue there was nothing left in the cellar as far as we know. At least as far as the paintings are concerned. Later a bust of Moses Mendelssohn resurfaced. But the holdings of the berlin Jewish Museum were gone. They had been seized in 1900 zent. A part of the collection reappeared in 1946 in the cellar of the former. 300 paintings and drawings were found here left to the elements under an open window. Among them for months final selfportrait. The artist had gifted it to the Jewish Museum when it opened in january 1933 just a few days before the nazis seized power. All of the large paintings remain lost all but one the prophet by yakob steinhart is said to have hung in googles villa outside berlin. The works of lesser henri also vanished all that remains in the store rooms of the centrum today it is this Small Oil Painting glued to a cigar box. The exhibit also shows this portrait untitled a german woman. The back reveals it was painted presumably by a german very much soldier on parchment from a handwritten torah scroll. Long forgotten personal histories can be explored down in the archives of the centrum judaism family stories like eric. He was a close friend of marcus liebermans widow it was to him that Marta Lieberman wrote her last letter before taking her life at the age of 85 to escape deportation. Hundreds of family heirlooms can be found in the largest archive of jewish life in germany thousands of tragic feats. Many files date from the prewar general archive of the german jews which compiled material from jewish communities and institutions across the country for the nazis it was a treasure. In 1939 they minded to establish the Central Office for jewish registers of births deaths and marriages. Did ministration of the Jewish Community in berlin was forced to use these registers to assemble deportation lists until they themselves were targeted. We have a file in the archives of the sent from today come i think its called the dismantling operation of october 20th 1942. Its a good example for the entire tragedy of the situation. Im still greatly moved by the fact that we are right now in the very room in which all this happened. And. Oct 19th 1902 markets henschel chairman of the Jewish Community is summoned by the secret state police. As so often whenever he is ordered to the offices of the gestapo he leaves behind his watch and wedding ring a silent code that signals danger to his colleagues but he returns with very precise instructions. The next morning on command of the gestapo more intentional orders more than a 1000 Jewish Community employees to the corridors and the large hall of the synagogue. 2 2 the departmental directors are told to select 500. 00 employees for deportation. Silence. Minutes pass and not a single name is uttered. Frustra