Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, expressly praised the work of the association. He said it plays an important role in the fight against historical distortion, indifference, and the mentality of drawing a line under the past. It reinforces the belief in a society that will always be aware of the horrors and inhuman cruelty of the Shoah. According to Schuster, Jewish buildings come with a responsibility to preserve and revitalize them. In a spiritual sense, the former synagogue stands for a dialogue with “that which no longer has a material form.” Something of this spirit lives on in this house of culture, democracy education, and remembrance of the history and life of the Jewish population of Obernbreit.
Ludwig Spaenle, the Bavarian state government's anti-Semitism commissioner, praised the association for being a bright light in dark times. He said it had given the former synagogue back its face and soul. The revival of the synagogue restores lost dignity to millions of murdered people when names are mentioned and their spirit is honored.
Deputy District Administrator and Mayor Susanne Knof spoke from her own experience: in 1996, hardly any of the younger residents knew anything about the former synagogue. “Today, everyone in town knows what this building means. That is thanks to you,” said the mayor. The market town supported the association in turning the former synagogue into a place of remembrance, encounter, education, and exchange, where memories are preserved and passed on. The most recent events in particular had a profound human impact.
Hans-Christof Haas, who discovered the mikvah, the Jewish ritual bath, gave an overview of the history of the building. For his dissertation, he had spent months clearing and measuring the former hall, and in doing so had been able to confirm the old knowledge about the mikvah with persistence. The synagogue was built in 1747 and sold after the Jewish community was dissolved in 1911, after which it was used as an agricultural hall and workshop. The restoration concept included removing the later additions, restoring the barrel vault and the women's gallery, but also preserving many traces of later use. Today, the building can be read like a book.
Chairman Dr. Scherer looked back on the history of the association. He recalled the initiators, pastor Helmut Walz and former mayor Friedrich Heidecker, who was chairman until 2017. Important steps included the transfer of ownership from the previous owner, Maria Keinath, to the association, the excavation of the mikvah nine meters and 48 steps below street level in 550 hours of volunteer work, and then, with the market town as the project sponsor, the €360,000 renovation until the former synagogue's re-opening in 2013. In this way, preservation created a space for encounter and remembrance, including with descendants of Jewish citizens. Scherer reaffirmed that the association would continue to promote tolerance and diversity.
The event was accompanied by music from a klezmer ensemble from Gaukönigshofen and the Eintracht choir, which also included Jewish singers at the end of the 19th century.
(Beate Krämer)
The association would like to thank the guests of honor for coming and for their welcoming remarks, the musicians from the Eintracht choir and the klezmer band from Gaukönigshofen, all those who donated cakes, all those who helped with setting up and dismantling the venue and during the festivities, Olaf Stellenhofsky for the plant decorations, the Obernbreit building yard for logistical support, Detlev Kranl for technical support, and the board members for organizing the festival. We would also like to express our sincere thanks for all donations!
