Jewish Museum Hohenems

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Jewish Museum Hohenems
Schweizer Straße 5 Hohenems Jewish Museum.JPG
Front view of the museum (2017)
Data
place Hohenems
Art
historical Museum
architect Elsa Prochazka
opening 1991
management
Hanno Loewy
Website
Angled view of the house facade

The Jewish Museum Hohenems (abbreviation JMH ) is the regional museum for the tradition of the rural Jewish community Hohenems and its diverse contributions to the development of Vorarlberg and the surrounding regions (up to Bregenz and St. Gallen ). In addition, its activities meanwhile have an international reputation. It also deals with the Jewish present in Europe, the Diaspora and Israel and with questions of the future of the European immigration society .

The end of the Jewish community of Hohenems, the regional Nazi history, expulsion and deportation of the last community members, anti-Semitism in Austria and the Shoah / Holocaust represent a focus. Besides the regional and global history, it is dedicated to the people and their stories and maintains relationships with the descendants of Jewish families from Hohenems all over the world.

The permanent exhibition in the Heimann-Rosenthal Villa, built in 1864, documents the history of the Hohenems Jewish community, which existed for over three centuries until it was destroyed during the Nazi era . The museum offers annual changing exhibitions and an extensive program of events.

Since there is no longer a Jewish community in Hohenems and there is no longer any Jewish life, the museum must be largely mediated and communicated by non-Jewish people.

The museum

In the Jewish Museum Hohenems

The Jewish Museum Hohenems was opened in April 1991 in the Villa Heimann-Rosenthal in the center of the former Jewish quarter. The permanent exhibition, which was completely redesigned in 2007, presents the fields of tension in Jewish life with the focus on a local story and its relational space, told as an example. Confronted with the questions of the visitors, the exhibition unfolds the concrete reality of the diaspora in the context of a European history of migration and cross-border relationships, networks and globalization. It puts people in the foreground, their contradictions and subjective experiences, their life plans and customs: people like Salomon Sulzer, the founder of modern European synagogue music, as well as peddlers and innkeepers, rabbis and teachers, merchants and manufacturers, such as the Rosenthal family in whose villa, built in 1864, houses the museum.

Since the opening of the museum, in contact with the descendants of Hohenems Jews all over the world and through numerous donations, a large collection of everyday objects and personal documents has been created, which can now be shown for the first time. Modern audio guides and video stations enable a new approach to a "story from within". The exhibition is available to an international audience in German, English and French. A children's exhibition by Monika Helfer and Barbara Steinitz gives a young audience a new perspective on history and stimulates dialogue between the generations. The exhibition architecture by Erich Steinmayr and Fritz Mascher, the design by the design office stecher id and the new exhibition concept deliberately transform the former home into a museum: a house in which the old villa itself can be seen as an exhibit. Today the Villa Heimann-Rosenthal is a place where you can approach the variety of stories and objects and experience yourself as a "viewer" - a place where you can meet past, but still challenging, current experiences.

Hanno Loewy has directed the Jewish Museum Hohenems since 2004 .

History of origin

When the city of Hohenems acquired the Heimann-Rosenthal Villa, built by a family of manufacturers, in 1983 and looked for a use for the building, the possibility of a Jewish museum was soon discussed. Citizens involved in cultural politics around Mayor Otto Amann founded the Jewish Museum Hohenems Association in 1986 in order to be able to set up such an institution and thus offer the opportunity to get to know Jewish history, cult and cultural life. Otto Amann was also elected the association's first president.

In 1989 the historian Kurt Greussing was commissioned to work out a museum concept that illustrates the history of the Jews in Vorarlberg from the perspective of the relationship between minority and majority and makes it accessible to museum users. A project team consisting of Bernhard Purin , Eva Grabherr and Sabine Fuchs implemented this concept in just under a year. Together with the architects ( Elsa Prochazka and employees, Vienna) and graphic designers (A&H Haller, Vienna), the museum was designed as a "walk-in book".

The purchase of Judaica was deliberately avoided. The few objects that have survived from the Hohenems Jewish community also bear witness to the eradication of these Jewish traces in Vorarlberg. The therefore mostly two-dimensional exhibits are made accessible to the museum visitor through a complex, multi-layered system of representation, translation and classification. In addition, other media such as video, acoustic installation and slides are used: A language laboratory presents the Yiddish language, which is also spoken in Vorarlberg. One room is dedicated to the music of Salomon Sulzer (1804–1890, cantor ) from Hohenems , who innovated synagogue music. In the attic, contemporary witnesses tell of their memories of Jewish Hohenems.

The permanent exhibition was redesigned and redesigned in 2007 together with the architects Erich Steinmayr and Friedrich Mascher, the design office stecher id and the exhibition curator Hannes Sulzenbacher. The exhibition rooms were surrounded by a flexible glass outer shell in which the history of Hohenems Jews is now also told with a view to migration and diaspora. Questions of Jewish religion, different interpretations of laws and festivals are now juxtaposed with historical time in the representation of cyclical time and thus re-contextualized: as a resource, but also as a material for conflict in the field of tension between everyday life, individual life and tradition. The events in the 20th century were also given more space, for example through video installations about Hohenems as a station on the run between 1938 and 1945. In order to emphasize the international character of the museum, a multilingual audio system was integrated into the exhibition. Finally, the new exhibition is also accompanied by a children's exhibition, which brings young people a little closer to the history of the Jews of Hohenems through short stories and shadow images.

Jewish Hohenems

See main article: Jewish life in Hohenems

Jewish history begins in Hohenems in 1617 with the settlement of the first Jews by the local imperial count family (letter of protection) and ended in 1942 with the deportations to the Theresienstadt concentration camp . Together with the former Christengasse (today Marktstrasse), the former Jewish quarter forms the core of historic Hohenems. Today, many traces of Jewish history have been made legible in the place, but there is no longer a Jewish community here. In addition to the synagogue , school , poor house and mikveh, there was a café founded in 1797, the “Kitzinger coffee house”. The community grew continuously until the first half of the 19th century; After the liberalization by the constitutional law of 1867, there was a strong migration to surrounding cities, including Swiss ones. In 1935 the Jewish community still had 35 members. After the war ended in 1945, Jewish Displaced Persons (DPs) were temporarily housed. The Jewish cemetery is occasionally still used as a burial site. But none of the former parishioners returned to live here.

progeny

The Jewish Museum Hohenems maintains contact with descendants of Hohenems Jews all over the world. The Hohenems Diaspora network is an essential dimension of the work of the Jewish Museum and for the descendants themselves a bridge between the past and the present. Permanent communication has developed between the families - also through the work of the museum and the American Friends of the Jewish Museum Hohenems, founded in 1998. In summer 2008, more than 120 offspring met for the second global meeting in Hohenems. The museum supports descendants in communication with one another and in genealogical research. Not least since the first descendants' meeting in 1998 with more than 160 participants, communication with the descendants has also enriched the daily routine of the museum's program and exhibition activities. The Jewish Museum Hohenems is the focus of a “virtual community” that productively combines Jewish history and Jewish life today. Here you can find information about the activities of the American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Hohenems, about the Jewish families of Hohenems and the descendants of 2017, 2008 and 1998.

Publications

The Jewish Museum Hohenems publishes catalogs, edited volumes and monographs on various aspects of Jewish culture, history and the present. The starting point is both the exemplary focus of the Hohenems Jewish community and its survival in the descendants of the Hohenems Jewish families, as well as the museum's wide-ranging exhibition and program work, which ranges from the history of the Jews in the Lake Constance area to questions of the Jewish present in Europe in a modern context Immigration societies are enough.

  • old freedoms of ems | Old Liberties Of Hohenems, newspaper, published by Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, Hohenems, Saturday, July 1, 2018, 2nd year, No. 2, This newspaper documents the great descendants of the Hohenems Jewish families that took place from July 27 to 30, 2017 took place in Hohenems.
  • Say Shibboleth! On Visible and Invisible Borders, Edited by Boaz Levin, Hanno Loewy and Anika Reichwald, Bucher Verlag Hohenems 2018, flap brochure, 239 pages, 17 × 24 cm, illustrated in color, ISBN 978-3-99018-470-7
  • Say shibbolet! On visible and invisible borders, published on behalf of the Jewish Museum Hohenems by: Boaz Levin, Hanno Loewy and Anika Reichwald, Bucher Verlag Hohenems 2018, flap brochure, 243 pages, 17 × 24 cm, illustrated in color, ISBN 978-3-99018-459 -2 , with works by: Francis Alÿs (Mexico City), Ovidiu Anton (Vienna), Zach Blas (London), Sophie Calle (Paris), Arno Gisinger (Paris), Vincent Grunwald (Berlin), Lawrence Abu Hamdan (London / Beirut), Ryan S. Jeffery (Los Angeles), Leon Kahane (Berlin / Tel Aviv), Mikael Levin (New York), Fiamma Montezemolo (San Francisco), Pīnar Öğrenci (Istanbul) and Fazal Sheikh (Zurich). Essays and texts by: Emily Apter, Zali Gurevitch, Katarina Holländer, Boaz Levin, Quinn Slobodian , Frances Stonor Saunders, Vladimir Vertlib, Najem Wali and Marina Warner
  • old freedoms of ems | Old Liberties Of Hohenems, newspaper, published by Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, Hohenems, Saturday, July 1, 2017, 1st volume, no.1, This newspaper was published on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Hohenems letter of protection on July 1, 1617 .
  • The feminine side of God, published in the name of the Jewish Museum Hohenems by: Michaela Feurstein-Prasser and Felicitas Heimann-Jelinek , Bucher Verlag Hohenems 2017, 220 pages, richly illustrated, ISBN 978-3-99018-406-6 . With essays by Micha Brumlik, Rachel Elior, Susannah Heschel, Halima Krausen, Ursula Rapp, Peter Schäfer and Christoph Uehlinger.
  • Left. A look at the holdings, edited by Hanno Loewy and Anika Reichwald, Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, 2016, Bucher Druck und Verlag Hohenems, 144 pages, 17 × 24 cm, illustrated throughout in color, ISBN 978-3-99018-311-3
  • Endstation Sehnsucht, A journey through Jeruschalajim-Jerusalem-Al Quds, Eds. Hanno Loewy and Hannes Sulzenbacher, With a photo essay by Gallia Gur Zeev, Parthas Verlag Berlin, 2015, 399 pages, ISBN 978-3-86964-107-2
  • Jukebox Jewkbox! A Jewish Century on Shellac & Vinyl, Ed. Hanno Loewy for the Jewish Museums Hohenems and Munich, Hohenems 2014, Bucher Verlag, 311 pages, richly illustrated, 23.5 × 22 cm, ISBN 978-3-99018-296-3 , With an accompanying single, with essays by Caspar Battegay, Alan Dein, Helene Maimann, Raymond Wolff. Contributions by Timna Brauer, Vladimir Vertlib, Lizzie Doron, Ari Rath, Cilly Kugelmann, Marian Fuks, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Michael Asch and many others.
  • Edition Museum Texts 03. The Jewish Quarter. A Walk around Hohenems Ed. Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, Bucher Verlag, 2013, 26 pages
  • Come in! Step out! Why people change their religion. Published by Regina Laudage-Kleeberg and Hannes Sulzenbacher on behalf of the Jewish Museums Hohenems, Frankfurt am Main and Munich, Parthas Verlag, 2012, 352 pages, ISBN 978-3-86964-067-9 .
  • Edition Museum Texts 03. The Jewish Quarter. A tour through Hohenems Ed. Jewish Museum Hohenems, Bucher Verlag, 2011, 26 pages
  • Edition Museum Texts 01. Daimi Sergi Turkish edition, edited by the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Color Druck, Götzis, 41 pages, the texts from the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems in Turkish
  • Edition museum texts 01. Exposition permanent French edition, edited by Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, color print, Götzis, 41 pages, the texts from the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems in French
  • Edition Museum Texts 01. Permanent Exhibition English edition, published by the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Color Druck, Götzis, 41 pages, the texts from the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems in English
  • Edition Museum Texts 01. The permanent exhibition by the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Bucher Verlag, 2010, 42 pages, self-published, the texts from the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems
  • Edition Museumstexte 02. The interviews Ed. Jüdisches Museum Hohenems, Bucher Verlag, 2010, 65 pages, self-published, the interviews from the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Hohenems
  • Cantor Jacob Hohenemser. A Life for Jewish Music Published by the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Hohenems, 2010, this audio CD contains the recordings of the record “The Cantor. Jacob Hohenemser ”, produced by the community“ Temple Emanu-El ”(Rhode Island, Provicende), with contributions by Leon Kornitzer, Emanuel Kirschner, Zavel Zilberts, Julius Chajes, and others. a.
  • Rosie and the great grandfather. Monika Helfer and Michael Köhlmeier , illustrations by Barbara Steinitz. Hanser Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-446-23587-8
  • Have you seen my alps A Jewish relationship story. Hanno Loewy and Gerhard Milchram (eds.). Bucher Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-902679-41-3
  • Here. Places of remembrance in Vorarlberg. Hanno Loewy (ed.). Bucher Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-902679-04-8
  • Home diaspora. The Jewish Museum Hohenems. Hanno Loewy (ed.), Contributions by Hannes Sulzenbacher , Isolde Charim , Eva Grabherr, Kurt Greussing, Michael Guggenheimer, Felix Jaffé, Luisa Jaffé de Winne, Michael Köhlmeier , Yves Kugelmann, Sabine Offe, Zafer Şenocak , Vladimir Vertlib, Monika Helfer and Barbara Steinitz. Bucher Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-902612-68-7
  • At Home: Diaspora. The Jewish Museum Hohenems. Hanno Loewy (Ed.), With essays by Hannes Sulzenbacher , Isolde Charim, Eva Grabherr, Kurt Greussing, Michael Guggenheimer, Felix Jaffé, Luisa Jaffé de Winne, Michael Köhlmeier , Yves Kugelmann, Sabine Offe, Zafer Şenocak , Vladimir Vertlib, Monika Helfer and Barbara Steinitz. Bucher Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978-3-902612-69-4
  • Anti-Jewish knick-knacks and popular “images of Jews”. The Finkelstein Collection. Falk Wiesemann , Klartext Verlag, 2005, numerous. color image, € 29.90, ISBN 3-89861-502-2 .
  • Rumors about the Jews. Anti-Semitism, Philosemitism and Current Conspiracy Theories. Hanno Loewy (ed.), Essays by Richard Bartholomew, Dan Diner , Werner Dreier, Monique Eckmann, Bernd Fechler, Holger Gehle, Kurt Greussing, Ruth Gruber, Thomas Haury , Yves Kugelmann, Hanno Loewy, Astrid Messerschmidt, Zafer Senocak, Frank Stern , Juliane Wetzel , Moshe Zuckermann. Klartext Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-89861-501-4
  • Shlock shop. The wonderful world of Jewish kitsch Hanno Loewy / Michael Wuliger , published by the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Hämmerle Verlag (A), ISBN 3-902249-87-0 , Mosse Verlag (D), ISBN 3-935097-05-0 .
  • Kantormania CD with 18 songs, contributions by Shmuel Barzilai (Schma Israel), Yossle Rosenblatt (Kol Nidre), Joseph Schmidt (High Heights / Ein Kamocha), Al Jolson (Kol Nidre), Marzel Lang (Kiddush / Kurt Weil), Jalda Rebling (Baruch ha-Gever) and a.,
  • “Probably an illusion”? History and present of the Hohenems Synagogue Jüdisches Museum, 2004, 192 p., The richly illustrated volume contains contributions on the history and architecture of the building, including artistic reflections. An exemplary approach to dealing with memory and Jewish heritage in Central Europe.
  • Johannes Inama (ed.): Rosenthals - Collage of a family story. Materials for the exhibition project . Two volumes. Jewish Museum Hohenems, Hohenems 2002/04, ISBN 3-901168-07-9 .
  • Hanno Loewy: It was that simple. Jewish childhoods and youth since 1945 in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. An exhibition by the Jewish Museum Hohenems in collaboration with the Jewish Museum Berlin, March 21 to May 23, 2004 . Jewish Museum Hohenems, Hohenems 2004, ISBN 3-901168-08-7 .
  • A quarter of the city. On the question of dealing with the former Jewish quarter in Hohenems , Ed. Johannes Inama, Studien Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-7065-1254-8 .
  • Eva Grabherr (ed.): Jews in Hohenems. "... a very small Jewish community that lives only from memories!" Catalog of the Jewish Museum . Jewish Museum, Hohenems 1996, ISBN 3-901168-04-4 .
  • Eva Grabherr (ed.): Stories of objects. Judaica from the relational space of the Hohenems Jews, the Gross family collection, Tel Aviv. An exhibition by: Jewish Museum Hohenems, June 17 to August 15, 1994 . Jewish Museum, Hohenems 1994, ISBN 3-901168-03-6 .
  • Texts in the museum . Jewish Museum Hohenems, Hohenems 1991, OBV . (ISBN invalid).

Web links

Commons : Jewish Museum Hohenems  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ enken.at (PDF; 111 kB) Bruno Winkler: Communication at a place of memory. Mediation work in the Jewish Museum Hohenems.

Remarks

  1. ↑ The Rosenthal family, who acquired the cotton factory in Hohenems-Schwefel in 1841 , were the wealthiest Jewish family in Hohenems in the 19th century. In 1864 the manufacturer Anton Rosenthal (1840–1912) had the historicist villa built. The plan for this probably came from the St. Gallen architect Felix Wilhelm Kubly (1802–1872), who was planning the reconstruction of the Hohenems synagogue at the same time. The original furniture in the salon has been preserved, as the central living space of the upper-class Rosenthal family, which was particularly luxuriously furnished. After completion of the villa, possibly around 1880, the furniture was made in the neo-renaissance style and differs from the mass production of the Wilhelminian era in its skilled craftsmanship. - The Heimann-Rosenthal villa and its salon . In: Texts in the Museum , sp


Coordinates: 47 ° 21 ′ 53 ″  N , 9 ° 41 ′ 19 ″  E