Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., June 15, 2008 Sivan 12, 5768 | | Israel Time: 13:22 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 09:33 15/06/2008 New museum to show Cologne's Jewish life dates back 1,700 years By Reuters Tags: Judaism, Germany, Holocaust  A new Cologne museum will show how Jewish life in the city goes back more than 1,700 years and, civic leaders hope, help revive it decades after the Holocaust. An archaeological site from Roman times will be at the heart of the museum which the organizers also want to illustrate modern Jewish life and customs. The strongly Catholic city, best known for its Gothic cathedral, claims to have the oldest Jewish community north of the Alps, dating back to at least 321, during Emperor Constantine's reign. Advertisement "This project is extremely important to show that Jews have been in Germany for as long as Christians -- people in this country should be made more aware of that," Wilfried Rogasch, head of the project, told Reuters. Late on Friday, a jury chose German architects Wandel Hoefer Lorch + Hirsch to design the museum due to open in 2010 or soon thereafter. It is being financed partly by a private foundation and partly by the city. The same architects designed an award-winning synagogue in Dresden which opened in 2001 and a Jewish center in Munich. "The concept is for an integrated project which will bind together the archaeological remains and the museum which will bring us to the modern day," Rogasch said. The remains include a synagogue and a "mikve," or Jewish ritual bath house, and the museum will be suspended over the site, said Rogasch. Jewish support Cologne's 5,000-strong Jewish community backs the initiative but says it wants the museum to have relevance to their lives by including a meeting area or a place of worship. "We welcome the project and want people to learn about history but we also want something today's Jewish community can actively engage in," Abraham Lehrer, a board member of Cologne's Community of Synagogues, told Reuters. Germany's Jewish community has more than tripled in the last 15 years, mainly due to immigrants from the former Soviet Union who account for most of the country's 105,000 registered Jews. A similar number of non-practising Jews live in Germany. Jewish schools, theaters and shops have sprung up but Lehrer said the population's dynamic growth of recent years is slowing. With neo-Nazi crime on the rise, police guard synagogues round the clock and the community is haunted by the memory of the Holocaust in which Nazis killed about 6 million Jews. Only 12,000 Jews were left in Germany after World War II from some 600,000 before. Medieval Cologne's strategic location on the river Rhine at the crossing of trade routes brought it prosperity. Its Jewish community thrived until pogroms and explusions in the 14th and 15th centuries. Although not on the scale of Berlin's Jewish museum which opened to great fanfare in 2001, locals say the historical connection will give Cologne's museum special appeal. "It is a unique opportunity we have because of the history and I think the project will become a landmark in Germany and even Europe," Mayor Fritz Schramma told Reuters. Related articles: Jerusalem on the Bay: San Francisco museum details positive impact of Jews on city Graduate student pushes for Jewish state in Germany Center for German and European studies opens in Haifa Bookmark to del.icio.us   Snoop Dogg in Israel American rapper Snoop Dogg slated to perform in Ramat Gan. Late date Scientists revive 2,000-year-old date seed found at Masada.   1.   Jewish museum 20:08  |  Gisela 14/06/08   2.   history 21:10  |  potobac 14/06/08   3.   Jews also lived in E.Europe 2,000 years ago 01:09  |  Motke 15/06/08   4.   Germany is an attractive place for a Jew to live 01:28  |  Dimitrij 15/06/08   5.   If Jews lived in Germany 1,700 years ago.... 07:21  |  The Archives 15/06/08   6.   re #1 `Jewish Museum` 09:20  |  Colin Wright 15/06/08   7.   History is soo important 09:49  |  Dawood 15/06/08   8.   S much for Islamists saying Euro Jews are from Khazzars¬ Jews 11:42  |  PETER SM 15/06/08   9.   Archives German people have learnt from the past. 11:53  |  PETER SM 15/06/08   10.   # 1 gisela 12:56  |  Axel 15/06/08   11.   #5 The Archives in Kuala Lumpur 12:57  |  Axel 15/06/08   12.   #7 Dawood - wrong conclusions 13:02  |  Axel 15/06/08

Read & React Rice: Settlement building may harm Israel-PA talks Responses: 75 Gideon Levy: Europe's hatred of Muslims makes it back Israel despite occupation Responses: 23 Olmert aides: Israel and Syria may hold direct talks soon Responses: 161 Zvi Bar'el: For Gaza quiet, Israel must be willing to work with Fatah-Hamas gov't Responses: 1 Rosner's Domain Judaism's swing vote: what to do with Jewish singles? What to make of the Journals of Rachel Corrie? (WTR) Poll: When should Israel have elections? Bobby Kennedy and the history of pro-Israel candidates NJDC: McCain's advisor soft on Iran (WTR) More Headlines 12:38 Olmert: Decisions on Gaza unaffected by political considerations 12:28 Rice: Settlement building may harm Israeli-Palestinian talks 13:06 Source: Israel to swap Lebanese killer Kuntar for abducted IDF troops 13:05 Arab leaders debate attending Med Union meet in July 12:34 Programming for peace / Israeli hi-tech companies outsource to West Bank 12:55 Epiphany in a Spanish neo-Nazi bookstore 09:55 Couple, infant daughter killed in Western Galilee car accident 01:17 Ramon: Barak ultimatum to Olmert will result in Likud takeover 09:55 Olmert aides: Israel and Syria may hold direct talks soon 11:34 Rights group: Shin Bet lied about interrogations 09:13 Children seized after daughter comes to school bearing swastika mark Previous Editions Select Day 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun 02 jun 01 jun

Special Offers Advertisement In the heart of Tel-Aviv The Meier on Rothschild tower Jerusalem of Gold Luxury apartments in Jerusalem's finest location Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved