Um das Jahr 1800 bildete Deutschland den Ausgangspunkt der jüdischen Reformbewegung. Im Zuge der jüdischen Aufklärung, der Haskala, entstanden vielerorts nicht nur Forderungen nach Gleichberechtigung der Juden, sondern auch Rufe nach einer Neuordnung des jüdischen Kultus. Der 4. Band der Kleinen Schriften der Bet Tfila befasst sich mit der jüdischen Reformbewegung und ihrer Architektur und behandelt dabei historische, religions-, kultur- und architekturgeschichtliche Fragestellungen.
Is there such a thing as Jewish Architecture? – Scholars, scientists, and researchers from all over the world gathered in Braunschweig to answer just this question. The problem of a specific Jewish character in works of art and architecture has been a point of growing interest during the last decades. Case studies, regional surveys, and essays contained in this volume offer an insight into the variety of Europe’s architectural and urban structures that could be considered Jewish by origin. With the help of this architectural heritage, Jewish presence in Europe can be detected all the way back to early Jewish settlements in the Mediterranean region. From this time on, sacred and secular Jewish buildings are interwoven into the pattern of their Christian and Muslim surroundings. A straight line can be drawn connecting the medieval and early-modern shul with the magnificent synagogues of the “Golden Age” and the large community centers built in the Neues Bauen style. After the hiatus caused by the Shoah, newly expanding Jewish com- munities find expression in new architectural forms which are also reflected in the architecture of present-day Jewish museums.
