Jewish Museum Augsburg Swabia, Augsburg

The Jewish Museum Augsburg Swabia is a historical museum that explores the Jewish history of Bavarian Swabia in connection with contemporary social issues. It serves as a space where themes of migration, integration, homeland, and culture are examined from a minority perspective, emphasizing that diversity is not a threat or an enhancement but simply a part of everyday life.

Established in 1985 within the Great Synagogue of Augsburg, it was the first independent museum in Germany dedicated to Jewish history and culture. Built in the early 20th century, the synagogue survived the 1938 pogrom and stands today as a unique testament to German-Jewish heritage, once again serving as the heart of a Jewish community. Visitors to the museum can view the sanctuary, and a section of the permanent exhibition is devoted to the architecture and history of this remarkable building.

Since 2014, the former synagogue of Kriegshaber, now a suburb of Augsburg, has functioned as a branch of the museum. As the oldest surviving synagogue in the region, it was the center of a vibrant Jewish rural community for nearly 300 years, a community that eventually disappeared due to urban migration and the devastation of the Nazi era. The museum's collection is anchored by ritual objects dating from the 17th to the 20th century, many of which are silver Judaica from destroyed Jewish communities in Swabia, crafted by notable Augsburg goldsmiths and highlighting connections between Jewish and Christian cultures.

The permanent exhibition features over twenty Torah shields, which provide insight into the religious beliefs, geographic spread, and social fabric of former Jewish communities, as well as their interactions with the Christian majority. Additional objects on loan from the Bavarian National Museum in Munich and private collectors enrich the museum's collection.