There is little doubt that museums offer some of the most immersive experiences when you travel. They not only offer rich insights into the history of the place through their displays of artefacts but also help enlighten visitors about local culture, communities and customs. Personally for me, museum visits are very exciting and I make sure to visit some unique museums during my travels. The Jewish Museum located in Sankt-Jakobs-Platz of Munich was one such visit I thoroughly enjoyed when I spent the Christmas holidays in Germany.

A small but highly engaging museum, the the Juedisches museum as it is called in German is an eclectic place that gives visitors a chance to experience Jewish history, culture, and art especially with reference to Munich. The display consists of a permanent exhibition as well as two floors of temporary exhibitions. As you step into the floor that houses the permanent exhibition, there are photographs depicting the comic strip Everything’s Relative. The latter has appeared in the New York newspaper Jewish Week since 1996 and was read all over the world. The story of the seven protagonists of the comic strip is illustrated here.

Further, the museum gives a detailed history of the presence of Jews in Munich which is Germany’s third largest city after Berlin and Hamburg. Right from 1229 AD which records the first reference of Jews in the city to the establishment of the first synagogue and hospice, the display traces the history and evolution of Jews in Munich till 2006 which was when the present day synagogue at Sankt-Jakobs-Platz was inaugurated.

Apart from history, the museum provides an overview of Jewish culture in terms of rituals, festivals, objects used in worship etc. Information on objects like the Shofar blown during religious ceremonies, festivals like Hanukkah, Purim etc is engaging as is the trivia on the purpose of a synagogue, the high, modern and historical holidays and the Shabbat.

It is key to note that visitors can not only view and read about the objects but also touch and feel the replica of such objects which have been kept in the museum for the purpose of education.

Apart from this, there are several displays related to the Jewish businesses in Munich, the advertising tools they used including poster stamps, traditional board games like the Aliyah board game etc.

There are also temporary exhibitions which trace the history of Jews in the city. The current one in the study room exhibition tells the story of Olga Maier who was one among the many Jews who had to part with their valuables during the Nazi era. “Aunt Olga’s Silver Candlesticks. A Munich Family History” narrates her story and that of her family.

The museum has a book shop which sells books on Judaism, fiction, specialist literature, childrens’ books etc.

Details:
Address: Sankt-Jakobs-Platz 16, 80331 München, Germany
Phone: +49 89 23396096

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