Cologne Jewish Museum Problems

Plans for a new Jewish Museum in Cologne are experiencing problems.....

Cologne Debates Building Jewish Museum in City Center

Deutsche Welle, July 17, 2008

Plans to build a Jewish museum in Cologne are being put to the test. While originally supporting the idea, the city's mayor is now not so certain any more that the winning design is the best one to build.
The city is home to the oldest Jewish community north of the Alps and still has significant remains of the old Jewish quarter, including the ruins of a mikwe, or ritual bath, just in front of Cologne's city hall.

That's why this particular spot was also chosen as the location of a future museum. A design by Saarbruecken-based architectural firm Wandel Hoefer Lorch was overwhelmingly chosen by an expert jury.

It all happened so quickly that members of the private foundation planning to pay for the construction said that it hadn't collected any of the 20 million euros ($31.7 million) needed.

They might not have to hurry.

While Cologne's conservative Mayor Fritz Schramma had originally voiced enthusiastic support for the plan, he's since backed away from it.

continue reading