Leading football club FC Bayern Munich is contributing 100,000 euros to the restoration of the Munich synagogue on the Reichenbachstrasse.
The Reichenbachstrasse synagogue was built in 1931 in the Bauhaus style by Gustav Meyerstein. It is considered an architectural jewel and the last remaining building of Munich’s pre-war Jewish life. The synagogue was devastated by the Nazis during Reichspogromnacht in 1938.
After 1945 the building, which was only provisionally renovated, served the Jewish community as the city’s main synagogue until 2006.
As reported by the Jüdische Allgemeine, the renovation will cost around 10 million euros and is co-financed by the German federal government, the Free State of Bavaria and the City of Munich.
Rachel Salamander, the chair of the synagogue association expressed hopes that as many of Munich citizens and local companies will follow the example of the current European champions and contribute to the restoration of the historic synagogue.
Between 1913 and 1952 FC Bayern was led by a Jewish president, Kurt Landauer , who served uninterrupted for 18 years . Under his stewardship, Bayern won their first championship title in 1932.
