Jewish Museum

http://www.muenchen.de/int/en/sights/museums/jewish-museum.html

About

Foto: Franz Kimmel Together with the Synagogue and the Jewish Community Center the Jewish Museum Munich forms part of the Jewish Center at St.-Jakobs-Platz. It is situated in immediate proximity to Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt. The ground floor lobby of the freestanding cube is glazed on all four sides and has been conceived as display window. The architecture reflects the intention of the building: The concept is to show the wide variety of Jewish history, art and culture up to the present day – with consideration of the Holocaust but without making it the sole focus. The right of conversion, changing from one faith-based community to another, is – just like the freedom to practice a religion, a fundamental human right. Over history, conversions were often imposed by force, social pressure and obligatory conformity. This was certainly true for the conversion from the Jewish to the Christian belief. Today changes of faith are considered to be a free-will decision. But even modern conversions are not free from conflict; they bring up new taboos and open questions. The current exhibition at the Jewish Museum Munich explores the different ways in which religions handle the matter of conversion, the variety of individual motifs, rituals, of converts and their personal dramas – across time and throughout Europe. We learn about famous personalities, such as Heinrich Heine, Edith Stein and Gustav Mahler, Nahida Lazarus and Leopold Weiss/Muhammad Asad, but also of normal people, whose exemplary stories focus on the daily and unspectacular dimensions of the long history of conversion. An exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Frankfurt am Main and Munich. Visitors are welcome daily (except Mondays) from October 2, 2013 to February 2, 2014 between 10.00 am and 6.00 pm. The permanent exhibition “Voices_Places_Times” is located on the lower level and depicts the diverse aspects of Jewish identity in a vivid manner. Compelling exhibits present the Munich's Jewish history. Seven installations provide optical and acoustic insight into Jewish life and give visitors the opportunity of a first-hand experience. A special focus is placed on the Jewish religion with its annual festivals (Yom Kippur, Chanukah and Pesah) and rites of passage (circumcision, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, marriage, death). Foto: Franz Kimmel The museum also presents temporary exhibitions which illustrate individual aspects and inspire communication, such as Jewish artists, places of exile or history as it has been experienced by Jews in Munich after 1945. The museum perceives itself as a place for research, open discussion and personal encounters. With this intention in mind the museum does not only organize regular events about Jewish topics. It also maintains a library and a bookstore with pertinent literature, a visitor service, age-appropriate guided tours for school classes as well as tours for adults dedicated to a variety of specific subjects. Regular opening hours: Additional opening hours: Closed: Please keep in mind that the museum is closed as follows: Contact: Jewish Museum St.-Jakobs-Platz 16 80331 München Phone: 0049/89/23396096 Website of the Jewish Museum.