Jewish Museum in Berlin

Berlin has so many museums and some of them look really interesting.  The first one I decided to go to was the Jewish Museum.  Not only do I love learning historical things about the Jewish religion, which is after all the olive tree into which Christianity was grafted but with Germany's history I thought this would be a very interesting place to visit.

From the front it doesn't look like much.  But once you go in (past airport-like security), paid your entrance fee (with a student card you only pay E2.50 instead of E10) you enter the most amazing structure.

Not that impressive from the front

The whole museum from a picture I lifted from Wikipidea.  The angly thing on the left is the actual museum.  It's on 3 or 4 levels and is supposed to resemble a star of David or something.  

The whole museum is full of symbolic spaces and places.  Little dark enclosed spaces where you stand and reflect on the holocaust and so on.  Like most museums it follows the history of Jewish people in Berlin and to a lesser amount, in East Germany.  The first part of the museum is focussed on the holocaust and then it goes according to historical periods.  Unfortunately I couldn't use a flash so the writing is a bit blurry.

I've seen pictures of the yellow star that Jews had to wear on their clothes and here is one dating from that time

I've seen pictures of the Torah scrolls, but never appreciated how big these things are.  Probably  about 60cm high.   In the New Testament it talks about how Jesus read from the Isaiah scroll and I can actually picture that scene now a bit better. 

Interesting - the Jews called the Torah their gift.  

Lots of technology.  As you blow on the screen, it pages to the next virtual page of the Torah. 

This model of a ritual bath is explained below.  At the door you can rent an iPod for 3E.  Each exibit has a number (here 17/18) and then you go to that audio track to listen to the information.  So, you have your own audio tour that you can do it in your own time.  So kewl. 

Now this I didn't know.  This museum traces prejudicial practices against Jews back by showing things like this.  

On the right is the blindfolded Synagoga.  

This museum finds such creative ways to help you interact with the information.  I've taken pictures of some of the ways. 

You sit on these amazing whirly seats and watch a presentations on something.  There were a few of these that was nearly similar.  Very attractive. 

This one looks like a pillar until your realise the pillar consists of drawers.  when you pull out one, it gives you  the information. 

A whole circular wall with pictures of Jewish families around the turn of the previous century.  Frank loves posing.  This might be the only museum he sees while in Berlin but he was quite cooperative and came with me.  

A hanging visual display.

A whole display about Jewish authors but done in a very unique manner.  On the one side is the author bio, on the other side the cover of one of their books. Below is the same authors, but I flipped each page.  

With this one you sit down on a couch that has speakers behind you.  You then press the button of the audio reading of a letter of a WW1 soldier you want to listen to.  You can choose between German and English.  

 There were other audio displays as well but it was in German so I didn't really interact too much.  There was one where you could sit on a chair with a circular speaker behind your head.  Then you could listen to two Jewish horse traders from before WW1 converse so you could hear typical Jewish German.  Certain places in the museum you could get yourself a headset and stand in front of a specific wall...depending on where you stand you would pick up certain recorded conversations.  It was in German, so I actually have no idea what it was supposed to be about, but it was unique.

An now a few random things.

A Prussian army helmet issued in 1897.  Look how ornate. 

A whole wall was dedicated to front pages of this newspaper.  Here Einstein defends his theory.   If only he knew how much he would need that defense now

This was a touchscreen exhibit that dealt with the increasingly oppressive laws against Jewish Germans.  The clock would spin and when you touch the screen, it jumps to a specific law.  You could also choose in which are of life which laws were enforced.  Here are a few examples.

Culture

Education.  Look at the progression between 1938 and 1942.