Berlin - 8 Freiheit (Koepenick Locality)

Summary: The Jewish community of Koepenick (formerly an independent town, now a locality of Berlin) was an autonomous community with a private synagogue until 1933, when it became part of the association of synagogues that belonged to the official Jewish Community of Berlin, whose purpose was to oversee Jewish community and religious life in the whole city. Little is known about the congregation of the synagogue at 8 Freiheit. In fact, the only information we have about a synagogue being built there is a local newspaper announcement from 1909 (placed by Dr. Heinz Gebhardt) stating that a new house of worship was under construction. The Freiheit synagogue was inaugurated in 1910; we also know that the congregation opened a Jewish cemetery nearby. As there are no existing photographs of the synagogue, we know little about the building’s architectural style. The outline on the outer fire wall of the adjacent building suggests that the structure was of neoclassical design. On Pogrom Night (November 1938), the interior of the Freiheit synagogue was vandalized and destroyed. The structure was torn down after the war, and a warehouse was built on the site.
Author / Sources: Moshe Finkel; Sources: SIB, WDJB; www.luise-berlin.de
Located in: berlin