Preliminary History
The Idea of Establishment ...
But far greater emphasis was now placed on the history of Berlin's Jewish community, Jewish life before and after 1933, and the role played by a number of important Jewish figures. The museum was conceived of as eloquently reviving an older tradition: that of the museum opened in the Oranienburgerstrasse shortly before Hitler's rise to power in 1933. Housing the Berlin Jewish community's collection of art and Judaica, this museum was shut down by the Gestapo in 1938, its holdings confiscated.
The "Association for a Jewish Museum" was founded in 1975. Towards the end of 1978, the Berlin Museum first displayed an exhibition of the new acquisitions for a future Jewish Museum. 1983 saw an historical exhibit on Berlin synagogues. From 1986 to 1998 three additional galleries were opened on the third floor of the Martin-Gropius-Bau (the former museum of design, now named after its architect).
The Foundation Stone ...
Under the leadership of W. Michael Blumenthal, who became director in December 1997 after an invitation by the government of the city Berlin, the Jewish Museum Berlin received its status as an autonomous foundation. The Libeskind Building was first opened to visitors in the Long Museum Night in January 1999. It soon became a great public attraction boasting 350,000 visitors as an empty shell in the two years that followed.
'Two Millennia of German Jewish History'
On 1 September, 2001, the city of Berlin handed over
responsibility for the museum to the state. On 9 September,
2001, the opening of the museum with its exhibition "Two
Millennia of German Jewish History" was celebrated with the
German president and chancellor and a further 850 prominent
guests from Germany and abroad.
The Jewish Museum Berlin has proved to be a focal attraction
with three million visitors by the end of the year 2005, making
it one of Germany's most visited museums. Offering guided
tours, temporary exhibitions, and a diverse calendar of events
including scientific symposia, concerts, talks, workshops for
kids and teens to name but a few, the museum has secured its
reputation as a lively center for Jewish history and
culture.
Source: Jewish Museum Berlin