The Organization

How It Began: Spiegelgasse 11, in Wiesbaden, Germany, is the third oldest residential structure in the city (1724). Spiegelgasse was once the center of the Jewish Community containing a Synagogue and other facilities for Jewish community life. When the building was threatened by demolition in 1987, Lothar Bembenek, an historian and teacher, raised the alarm. A surprising number of citizens rallied to the call: “Save Spiegelgasse”.
An organization was established to promote research into German-Jewish history in Wiesbaden. In 1988 it became the “Aktives Museum Spiegelgasse für Deutsch-Jüdische Geschichte in Wiesbaden”, with offices at No. 9. It later acquired the building at Spiegelgasse 11 for its exhibitions.

Spiegelgasse 11	Spiegelgasse 9 /Badhotel

The Spiegelgasse Active Museum is not a museum in the usual sense of the word. Its projects reflect its active, personal and very vivid concern with the past. Above all, it aims to supply information about, and an understanding of, Jewish history and culture. This aim includes providing information about the Holocaust and sharing lessons which can be learned from this catastrophe.

The Active Museum shows the significant historical role that Jews played in the spiritual, cultural and economic development of Wiesbaden. It also displays aspects of Jewish culture, intending them to play a greater role in the general culture of the city.