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The planned reconstruction of the Bornplatz synagogue in Hamburg is evidently arousing great interest from architectural offices.

The chairman of the Hamburg Jewish Community, Philipp Stricharz, told the German Press Agency that a “large number” of applicants responded to the Europe-wide invitation to tender for a feasibility study in January.

The applications come from Hamburg, Germany and other countries.

The contract should be awarded by the beginning of July, the submission of the selected study is expected by the end of November.

The federal government provided 600,000 euros for the preliminary study of the project.

"The feasibility study is intended to examine how the former synagogue can be rebuilt (...) taking into account all planning-relevant factors," said the tender.

From the left in the citizenry comes criticism of the formulation.

In February 2020, parliament unanimously committed itself to the goal of "making Jewish life in Hamburg more visible and supporting the reconstruction of a representative synagogue on the former site of the Bornplatz synagogue," said MPs Insa Tietjen and Carola Ensslen.

The tender for the feasibility study differs from the decision.

"How open is the whole thing?

Or is it already certain that the synagogue will be rebuilt 1: 1? ”Asked Tietjen, who is the political group's spokesperson for religion, in an interview with the German press agency.

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The background is the fear that a faithful reconstruction could give the impression that the National Socialists did not destroy the synagogue during the November pogroms of 1938.

The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, had recently contradicted this view: "On the contrary: a rebuilt church in this place also indicates what happened there." The reconstruction - instead of a modern synagogue - lies a special charm.

The Hamburg project could definitely be compared with the reconstruction of the Dresden Frauenkirche, he told the "Hamburger Abendblatt".

Stricharz emphasized that the feasibility study was about getting a solid basis for the public debate on reconstruction.

This term is also mentioned in the decision of the citizenship.

"Rebuilding the synagogue as it once looked should be seen as an option," said the community chairman.

A completely different design would be a missed topic.

Stricharz recalled that the Hamburg Michel and other churches had also been rebuilt in their old form after the war.