“The idea has been in my heart and head for a long time,” says Kof Kaufmann of the Leipzig Museum of Jewish History. Now the head of the Israeli religious community in Leipzig is a step forward and can count on the city’s support. The Culture Committee recently pointed this out and made a corresponding recommendation to the city council. The hopes of the participants now rest on Dresden: The government of Saxony supports the project financially.
Nowadays In Greek mythology, this is called kairos: it is the right moment, the opportunity that presents itself, which one must seize with one’s head. Otherwise it will fly away. Such an opportunity could help Kaufman finally realize the idea of his museum. This was made possible through a regional competition: the creation of a Jewish museum in Dresden is also being discussed.
Leipzig – the centuries-old rivalry between the two cities – could not hold back. Especially since the city can look back on centuries of Jewish life. Many of the initiatives here deal with her recollection, the present, and the future. Nobody has to be convinced seriously with this project.
“We all agreed in the cultural committee to create a Jewish museum,” explains Christian Schultz, a member of the cultural committee. The “anniversary” of 1700 years of Jewish life in Germany is an appropriate time for us.
City history The history of Leipzig and the history of the Jewish city are closely related: “According to him, the museum should not cover up anything and also” represents what is divided and torn apart. We must not obscure the look back, but we must also look specifically to the future and arm our society against anti-Semitism. This museum is also an educational project. ”
Since the Culture Committee learned of the idea of Kauffman, he immediately got involved. Because neither he nor the city just wants to create another community enterprise. “We are talking about a virtual museum,” Kauf Kaufman emphatically says. “No, not through virtual tours through a real museum building, but through virtual trips to different eras, penetrating different destinies, and immersed in various events, at its heart the fate of the Jews and Jewish history, which are part of the history of Leipzig, an integral part of it.”
Internet Therefore, there will be no exhibition rooms with media stations or the like, but the visitor will be able to access from anywhere in the world via the Internet. And that might attract people to the city, Kaufman says. According to politician Christian Schultz, the city council is expected to make a decision on the proposal by summer. If the latter speaks in favor of the project, the city should apply for appropriate Free State funding. In the end, everything depends on Dresden.
Küf Kaufmann explains that he has received exemplary support from many quarters, including the Rothschild Foundation in London. He has already taken the first practical steps. At the Leipzig University of Technology, Economics and Culture, students will create a prototype of a digital museum this summer semester.
“This should grow little by little,” Kaufman says. “You also need to understand that you are building a museum like this out of many different thematic components, and in a positive sense, it has never been completed. Its construction must continue forever, and our history is eternal. “
