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Photographic Collection

From an early promotional photograph by Yva to documentation of Jewish life in Germany before and after the Shoah, discover selected objects from our Photographic Collection and the stories behind them.

  • Black and white photograph of a woman whose face hovers ghost-like next to her.

    “Amor Skin”

    The vintage print is an example of early promotional photography. Using multiple exposures, the photographer Yva was able to produce unreal and dreamlike images

  • Black and white photograph of the department store at night.

    “White Weeks” at the Ury Department Store

    With a brightly lit façade, the Ury brothers promoted “White Weeks” to their customers in February 1930. The promotional campaign testified to their modern business practices and their resulting success

  • Black and white photograph: A gentleman in a hunting hat and suit presents a necklace with numerous pendants.

    Hugo Spiegel as Champion Shot

    The photograph by Leonard Freed depicts the father of Paul Spiegel, who would later be president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. The Holocaust survivor was probably the first Jewish champion marksman in Germany

  • Black and white photo of a group of people in traditional Bavarian costumes.

    Sally Israel in a Bavarian Costume

    Three vacationers in folk costumes gather around the Berlin businessman for a souvenir photo from Bad Reichenhall. The spa town had been a prime destination for Jewish vacationers since the mid-nineteenth century

  • Black and white photograph of a group of children.

    Synagogue in the Jewish Retreat Center in Lehnitz

    The synagogue was one of the last in Germany to be dedicated before the Second World War. For many, the retreat center became a place where Jews could assert their identity and culture in a hostile environment

  • Men hold Torah scrolls in their hands.

    Rededication of the Synagogue at the Jewish Hospital

    One year after the end of the Second World War, in 1946, the synagogue at the Jewish hospital on Iranische Strasse in the Berlin district of Wedding was rededicated. Gradually, it became the center of community work in Berlin