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Congregation Bet Shalom

German Synagogues

Holocaust Center exhibit features
virtual reconstructions of lost shuls.

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ynagogues
in Germany:
A Virtual
Reconstruction" recently
opened at the Holocaust
Memorial Center in
Farmington Hills.
The exhibit features
elaborate computer-
aided-design (CAD)
reconstructions of eight
synagogues destroyed
during Kristallnacht, or
A computer-generated reconstruction of the
"night of broken glass:' in
Frankfurt synagogue
November 1938.
This virtual tour was
created by students at the Darmstadt
German laws of the 1930s quoted
University of Technology in Germany,
in their original wording, depriving
led by Professors Marc Grellert and the
Jews of their rights. These laws were
late Manfred Koob. The inspiration for
a precursor to the planned attack on
the exhibit was a 1994 arson attack on
synagogues and places of prayer in
a synagogue in Liibeck, Germany, that
November 1938.
motivated a number of Darmstadt stu-
The second section shows the extent
dents to address and explore an impor-
of the destruction, including photos of
tant chapter in the history of German
destroyed synagogues and their cities
architecture — synagogues.
of origin.
In beautiful, full-color restorations,
The third section demonstrates the
based upon eyewitness interviews
process and final outcome of the vir-
and blueprints on file in German city
tual reconstruction of eight selected
archives, the exhibit details the diver-
synagogues, using CAD and three-
sity, splendor and significance of syna-
dimensional concepts. Included is the
gogues in the country's urban archi-
elaborate simulation of synagogues,
tectural history from the early-19th
some dating back to the 1860s, from
century until 1938.
a number of German cities including
"Our students dedicated themselves
Cologne, Hanover and Plauen. These
to recreating this part of German cul-
buildings are presented in varying
ture nearly wiped out in one night:'
stages of reconstruction and augmented
Grellert said. "Our mission was to
by video, slide projections and com-
make this visible once again, using the
puter printouts. Visitors can explore
latest technology to show the beauty
the fronts and interiors of the buildings
and importance synagogues played in
via virtual computer screen tours. The
Germany:'
variable perspectives allow the study of
The exhibit is divided into three
the architectural arrangement of space,
spatial units. First, visitors will view
combined with actual artifacts pre-
served from the destruction.
"This stunning exhibit brings back
to life a significant part of German cul-
ture that was destroyed in one night"
said Stephen Goldman, HMC executive
director. "Architecture is a direct reflec-
tion of society and culture. It is breath-
taking to see these beautiful synagogues
restored in such detail, and we are
pleased that our visitors can 'tour' this
lost history"
The exhibit runs through Sunday,
Dec.
27.
A computer-generated reconstruc-
For
more details, call (248) 553-2400
tion of the Hamburg synagogue
or visit www.holocaustcenter.org.

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Lay-led, participatory services
Daily morning and evening minyan
K-7 religious school
Adult education

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