Landmarks of Jewish History A project space for Hamburg.
from 04.02.2026
Reconstruction of Bornplatz Synagogue - Additional Info Landmarks of Jewish History
2020/5780. Reconstruction of Bornplatz Synagogue
During the November Pogroms of 1938, the synagogue on Bornplatz was damaged but not destroyed. In 1939, the city forced its demolition, the costs of which the Congregation had to pay. In 1942, a high-rise bunker, still existing today, was built on part of the property. The rest remained undeveloped, serving as a parking lot for decades. In 1988, the square was redesigned as a memorial.
In response to the antisemitic attack in Halle in October 2019, negotiations began in Hamburg on rebuilding the synagogue on its former site. The Hamburg Jewish Congregation actively sought support from civil society for the project. In early 2020, the city parliament decided to rebuild the synagogue. Jewish and non-Jewish stakeholders debated the reconstruction of the destroyed original and the dismantling of the memorial. This discussion also revealed different perspectives on the culture of remembrance and Jewish self-image.
1906/5666. New Synagogue on Bornplatz
In order to build a much-needed synagogue in the new residential areas, the Congregation purchased a plot of land in the middle of the Grindelviertel district from the city. In 1906, the new main synagogue of the Orthodox Synagogue Association was dedicated on Bornplatz. The first free-standing synagogue in Hamburg, with about. 1,200 seats, it was the largest in northern Germany. Adjoining buildings housed a weekday synagogue and the ritual bath, the mikvah.
1988/5749. Memorial Site
In the late 1970s, a lengthy planning process began to determine what to do with the site of the former synagogue. Various Hamburg authorities were involved, as were, to a certain extent, the Jewish Congregation and members of the Association of Former Hamburg Residents in Israel. On November 9, 1988, the 50th anniversary of the November Pogroms, the “Synagogue Monument” by artist Margrit Kahl was dedicated. In 1989, the square was named after Joseph Carlebach.
The ruin on Poolstraße
Since 1931, the Temple Association’s services had been held in the new temple on Oberstrasse. The property on Poolstrasse was almost completely destroyed by bombs in 1944. After 1945, the site with the ruins of the temple served as an industrial park. Parallel to the developments surrounding the Bornplatz Synagogue, the city purchased the property in 2020. The Liberal Jewish Congregation has been demanding its return. Its future use is still unclear.
Captions
Synagogue on Bornplatz
Postcard, circa 1906, reproduction, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. 2008-1022
The design was created by Hamburg architects Ernst Friedheim and Semmy Engel. The neo-Romanesque architectural style was typical of synagogue buildings around 1900. Deemed “national” and “German,” it was a counter-design to “Oriental” synagogues. The dome, covered with brown bricks, measured about 128 feet in height.
”Synagogue Monument” by Margrit Kahl
Margrit Kahl, photography, 1988, Yad Vashem International Holocaust Memorial, reference number 2957/6
The floor mosaic traces the floor plan and vaulted ceiling of the destroyed synagogue with black and gray granite stones. As a ‘counter-monument’, it aims to draw attention to the empty space in the cityscape. Whether and in what form the monument will become part of the new synagogue has not yet been decided.
Return of Property
Armin Levy, Fotografie, 2023
After the synagogue was demolished, the city expropriated the property. After 1945, it became part of the university campus. In 2023, the city parliament decided to return the property to the Hamburg Jewish Congregation. The leaders of the SPD, Green Party, CDU, and Left Party factions symbolically cut up the “Aryanization certificate.”
October 7
Photography, 2024, picture alliance / ABBfoto, media number 487117121
Just a few days after the symbolic act of restitution of the property, Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, the Hamburg Jewish Congregation has been drawing attention to the fate of the hostages with billboards on Joseph-Carlebach-Platz.
Visualisation of the winning design, 2025
Schulz und Schulz Architects (Leipzig) with Haberland Architects and Pola Landscape Architects (Berlin)
The requirement of the architectural competition was the ‘critical reconstruction’ of the Bornplatz Synagogue. The winning design was published in 2025. Adjacent buildings are to accommodate the Reform Synagogue and a public café. Security will be consciously ensured in a way other than fencing.
Event with Stella´s Morgenstern at Salon Atelier of Tempelforum e. V.
Kolja Harms, Fotografie, 2022
Memorial plaques mark the site as the former location of a synagogue. However, the courtyard is not open to the public. The remains of the temple are in poor condition. For years, events have been held to draw attention to the neglected state of the site.
GlossarY
‘Aryanisation’
The Nazi term ‘Aryanisation’ refers to the systematic expropriation of Jewish property – such as land and businesses – and its transfer to non-Jewish (‘Aryan’) private individuals, companies or the state.
