The period between 1918 and 1938 marked a transformative and unstable chapter in Berlin’s history, particularly for its Jewish population. Following the Greater Berlin Act of 1920, which integrated surrounding towns and rural areas, Berlin’s population nearly doubled, making it the biggest city in Germany and one of the world’s largest and most lively cities, renowned for its intellectual, cultural, and political dynamism. During the Weimar years, Jewish life flourished, with active participation in the city’s cultural, academic, and economic spheres. However, this period of prosperity was abruptly interrupted by the Great Depression of 1929, which had far-reaching effects around the globe, especially in Europe. The economic crisis brought severe hardship, political instability, and, among numerous other things, increased support for extremist parties such as the National Socialists, setting the stage for the eventual persecution of Berlin’s Jews.

By the early 1920s, Berlin’s Jewish population had grown to approximately 172,000, making up about 4.3% of the city’s total population. It was not only the largest Jewish community in Germany, but also one of the most vibrant in Europe. The Jewish residents of Berlin were concentrated in neighborhoods such as the Scheunenviertel (today’s Mitte) and Charlottenburg, but smaller Jewish communities also existed in less traditionally Jewish areas such as Neukölln, Friedrichshain, and Kreuzberg. The exhibition’s map focuses on those neighborhoods whose Jewish history is less known.

Neukölln: The Industrial Quarter

Until 1920, Neukölln was a separate town on the outskirts of Berlin, only becoming part of the metropolis after the Greater Berlin Act along with the villages of Britz, Rudow, and Buckow. The Jewish residents of Neukölln were approximately 3000 in number, mostly groups that had come from Eastern Europe and were often more traditional in their religious practices.  In 1907, the Isarstraße Synagogue opened in the district, serving as a center for Jewish worship and education. Along with the synagogue also the Israelitische Brüder-Verein zu Rixdorf (Israelitic Brotherhood Association of Rixdorf) was founded, providing an address for all sorts of issues for the local community. In contrast to wealthier Jewish districts, Neukölln was home to a more modest, working-class Jewish population, many of whom were involved in small-scale trades, artisanal work, or local industries. An exceptional example however is the H. Joseph & Co. Department Store, founded by two Jewish entrepreneurs. A notable figure in Neukölln’s Jewish life was Helena Nathan, who in 1921 became director of the Städtische Volksbücherei Neukölln (Municipal Public Library of Neukölln).

Many Jews at the time embraced the opportunities for assimilation and the expanded civil rights afforded to them by the political trends of the preceding years. However, the resurgence of antisemitism, particularly in Eastern Europe, led some Jewish groups to advocate for Zionism as an alternative. The Zionist movement undertook various initiatives to prepare and train young Jews for their eventual emigration to Palestine. One such effort was a training program organized by the Bodenkultur Verein (Agricultural Culture Association), an organization dedicated to providing participants with essential agricultural skills. To facilitate this, land was acquired in southern Neukölln, where aspiring settlers could gain the practical knowledge needed for life in their future homeland.

Friedrichshain: Jewish Labor and Socialism

Before the Great Berlin Act, Friedrichshain as we know it today was previously known as Friedrichsberg and was incorporated into the newly formed districts of Friedrichshain and Lichtenberg as part of restructuring in 1920.  

Like Neukölln, Friedrichshain was an industrial and working-class neighborhood. Jewish life here was shaped by both religious and secular streams. As early as 1896, the Jewish community established the Israelitische Vereinigung Friedrichsberg und Umgebung e.V (Israelite Association of Friedrichsberg and Surroundings, Registered Association). The Lichtenberg Synagogue was the first one in the area, founded in 1905 on Frankfurter Allee, reflecting the steady growth of the Jewish population.

In the 1920s, Friedrichshain attracted Jewish merchants, tradespeople, and industrialists, such as Theodor Kabaker, who owned  a timber factory on  Frankfurter Allee, which was emerging as the commercial center of East Berlin.  Many Jews in Friedrichshain began to embrace secular and socialist ideals, aligning themselves with the broader working-class struggles of the era. By 1933, the Jewish community in Friedrichshain had over 2,200 members, a small but significant presence that mirrored the growing political and social dynamism of Berlin’s Jewish population.

Kreuzberg: The Popular Southern District

Kreuzberg, with its mix of middle-class and working-class residents, was the most populous of these three districts in terms of Jewish life, with around 6,000 Jewish residents by 1920. Many lived near Oranienstraße, where Jewish institutions thrived. Synagogues such as those on Fraenkelufer and Lindenstraße, Jewish soup kitchens, kindergartens, and social welfare organizations provided essential support for the community. Culturally, Kreuzberg was also home to Jewish theaters and cinemas. A prominent one was the Gebrüder-Herrnfeld-Theater (Brothers Herrnfeld Theater). 

Other Jewish organizations such as the Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens (CV) (Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith)  were active in Kreuzberg, advocating for Jewish rights and combating growing antisemitism. The CV sought to promote Jewish integration into German society while preserving Jewish identity and heritage, a challenge that intensified as the political climate worsened in the early 1930s.