Opening

Exhibition

“Ma towu – How good are your tents, Jacob” – a prayer begins the ceremonial inauguration of the New Synagogue in Hanover on September 15, 1870. The Jewish community takes over their new house of prayer in the proud conviction “that we now have one of the most beautiful synagogues in Germany.”

The history of the New Synagogue is linked in many ways to the life and fate of the Jews. Several generations gather here to pray and proclaim God’s word, carrying joys and sorrows from birth to death. The rabbis Samuel Ephraim Meyer, Selig Gronemann, Samuel Freund and Emil Schorsch as well as the cantors Heinrich Berggrün, Adolf Lazarus, Gerson Linhardt and Israel Alter all worked in the synagogue.

The exhibition by Dr. Peter Schulze shows plans and pictures of the New Synagogue, documents the building designs by the architect Edwin Oppler, the interior design and the exterior exposure as well as the positive response from the public. The exhibition commemorates the destruction by the National Socialists on November 9, 1938.

Opening

The exhibition opening will take place on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm. The Director of Villa Seligmann, Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck, will open the event and hand over to the exhibition curator, Dr. Peter Schulze. Anne Gemeinhardt, Director of the Hanover Museums of Cultural History, will give a welcome address on behalf of the City of Hanover and as a cooperation partner. Cantor Assaf Levitin will introduce the inner life of the synagogue as a place of assembly and prayer with music and a lecture. Afterwards there will be an open tour of the exhibition followed by an exchange of ideas over a vin d’honneur.

Admission is free. Registration in the webshop, at karten@villa-seligmann.de or 0511 844887-200 is required.

Viewing

The exhibition is open every Monday and Wednesday until February 3, 2026 (finissage) with free admission between 10 am and 5 pm. The period 22.12.-31.12. is excluded.

Guided tours and supporting program

There will be several guided tours with Dr. Peter Schulze as part of the exhibition, for which tickets can already be booked here.

As part of the exhibition, a commemorative event with a lecture and music will take place on Sunday, November 9, 2025. More information will follow shortly.