8. Day 4 (Aug 20) - Around Frankfurt: Jewish Museum and South to Africa

We also visited the Frankfurt Jewish Museum.  If the Frankfurt City Museum was unfocused, the Frankfurt Jewish Museum had three focal points, but the focus would shift from item to item without warning. Indeed, it’s not clear whether the museum curators were aware of the focus.

The Jewish Museum is located in the same general downtown area of Frankfurt.  It is housed in a Rothschild Palais and its adjacent building which is considered an outstanding example of the residence of an upper middle class Jewish family in the 19th Century.

Jewish Museum - Frankfurt

The three areas of focus at the museum are: (1) what is Judaism; (2) what is the history and treatment of Jews in the world generally; and (3) what is the history and treatment of Jews in Germany and especially in Frankfurt.  In regard to the general treatment of Jews, Frankfurt was probably no better and no worse than many places in Europe, although there is some indication that at times Jews in Frankfurt were treated better than in many other parts of Europe.  Of course during the Nazi era, Jews in Frankfurt were treated much the same as elsewhere in Germany.  The museum makes no attempt to downplay, minimize, explain or excuse the treatment of Jews by the Nazis nor does it make any apologies for what happened.  It is simply describing what happened.  And, I believe that this is appropriate.  

A number of the exhibits show Jewish beliefs and culture.  There is much description of how Jews cared for the poor and sick in their community and how important education was.  And there is a description of Jewish practice. 

There is a model of what the Jewish Ghetto section of Frankfurt looked like, and it was explained that there was little light and air in the highly packed buildings.

Model of Frankfurt Ghetto

There were also two figures dressed in what is described as typical Jewish dress for a woman 

Jewish Female Dress

and for a man for much of this time.

Jewish Male Dress

Next to this display is a replica of the action of the Frankfurt Council in 1541 requiring that Jews wear an identifying insignia on their clothing.  (The exhibit notes that this requirement was no longer enforced by the early 18th century and in 1728 the council abolished the requirement.

Frankfurt Council Regulation Regarding Jewish Clothing

One of the exhibits in the museum showed how Jews were forced out of many countries in Europe from the 14th to 16th Century.

Where Jews Went

Where did these Jews go?  The exhibit show two significant countries that welcomed the Jews.  King Alexander Jagiellon of Poland welcomed Jews beginning in the early 16^th Century, “ushering in a Jewish Golden Age in Poland lasting until the Cossack uprising in 1648.”  And in 1496 Sultan Bayed II of the Ottoman Empire offered refuge to Jews as well.  

Then we were off to the Frankfurt airport for a quick flight to Munich, followed by a much longer flight south from Munich to Johannesburg.  Thanks to frequent flyer miles, the long flight was comfortable ...

South African Airlines Business Class Seating

and we were well fed with both the main course

Dinner - Main Course

and the cheese and fruit course.

Cheese and Fruit Course

Next stop: Johannesburg

Link to full resolution photos