Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt

The Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt, at Bertha-Pappenheim-Platz 1 on the bank of the Main in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is regarded as Europe's oldest municipal Jewish museum. The first museum was founded in 1922, and the institution was re-established in 1988 in the Rothschild Palais, a 19th-century villa that once belonged to the banking family. After a long closure for renovation and the construction of a new building, the museum reopened in 2020 with a modern extension that adds galleries, a library and an education centre to the historic palace. The permanent exhibition follows the history of the Jewish community in Frankfurt from the Middle Ages to the present, covering the Judengasse ghetto, emancipation in the 19th century, the Rothschild family, the destruction of the community in the Nazi period and the postwar revival. Visitors encounter ritual objects, documents, portraits, photographs and personal items that give a sense of daily life, belief and the economic role of the community. The museum's approach is both chronological and thematic, and it uses media and large-scale displays alongside the original objects. The Rothschild Palais, which was damaged in the war and later restored, is a key part of the experience and links the museum to the banking family that grew out of the Judengasse. The new building, designed by Staab Architekten, contrasts with the historic villa through its contemporary lines. The museum also runs temporary exhibitions and public programmes, and it has an extensive collection of art and cultural history. It is part of a group of sites that includes Museum Judengasse, and a visit to both gives a full picture of Jewish life in the city. The Main riverfront is a few minutes away, and the stop pairs well with a walk through the banking district and along the river toward the old town.