Success and Acceptance

In the Kingdom of Hannover, Jews received equality before the law with the rest of the population until 1848. With increasing wealth and prestige, many families made connections with the non-Jewish middle class.

With self-confidence, the Jewish community thrived in the centre of city life. With their ties to majority society, some members of the community also turned their backs on their religion and converted to Christianity. Politically liberal views and conservative-nationalist ideas coexisted in the community. Jewish patriots volunteered for the front during the First World War (1914-1918).

The Jewish community in Hannover developed into one of the ten largest Jewish communities in Germany. In 1870, the New Synagogue was opened in Calenberger Neustadt. The community operated their own schools, a teacher seminary, and a library. In addition, there were Jewish sports, welfare, and youth associations. Since 1924, their dead were buried in the Jewish cemetery in Bothfeld.

Their sons and daughters successfully enriched science, culture, and the economy. Emil Berliner (1851-1929) invented the gramophone and gramophone record. Otto Meyerhofer (1884-1951) received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1922. Cora Berliner (1890-1942?) was a senior civil servant (German: Regierungsrätin) and a professor of economic history. Dr. Justus Bier (1899-1990) directed the Kestner Society until 1937.

Picture credits

Digital image archive, Hannover Museum of History