Philanthropin

Memorial Plaque for the Lichtigfeld School attached to the Philanthropin
Frankfurt/Main
2013

 

Assignment

The changing history of the Jewish religious school in Frankfurt/Main was to be recorded on a panel outside the school building, and was also to be legible from the street. The historical building has been beautifully restored. Between the building and the street is a narrow garden or courtyard strip. Flanking both sides of a bulletproof-glass yard gate is a fence made with bulletproof glass. It was possible to mount a freestanding column in the garden strip or to integrate the panel in the fence.

Text

Supplied by client.

Das Philanthropin,
1804 gegründet, war die Schule der Israelitischen Gemeinde Frankfurts.
Als staatlich anerkannte Schule stand sie auch nichtjüdischen Schülern offen.

1908 zog die Schule von der Rechneigrabenstraße
in das neu errichtete Gebäude in der Hebelstraße.

Nach der Pogromnacht 1938 wurde die Schule auch zum Ort des
jüdischen Gemeindelebens. Rabbiner Leopold Neuhaus und Oberkantor Nathan Saretzki
leiteten im Philanthropin die letzten Gottesdienste der Frankfurter Juden.
Schüler und Lehrer des Philanthrophins wurden deportiert
und in den Vernichtungslagern ermordet.
1942 wurde die Schule von den Nationalsozialisten geschlossen.

Nach einer wechselvollen Geschichte, in der das Haus
als Lazarett, Notunterkunft, Verwaltungssitz der Jüdischen Gemeinde,
Bürgertreff und Sitz des Dr. Hoch´s Konservatoriums diente,
ist es – benannt nach dem Rabbiner Isaac Emil Lichtigfeld – seit Oktober 2006
wieder Schule der Jüdischen Gemeinde Frankfurt am Main.

Translation:

The Philanthropin,
established in 1804, was the school of the Israelite community in Frankfurt.
As a state-approved school it was also open to non-Jewish pupils.

In 1908 the school moved from Rechneigrabenstrassse
to the newly erected building in Hebelstrasse.

After Crystal Night in 1938 the school also became the venue for Jewish community life. Rabbi Leopold Neuhaus and chief cantor, Nathan Saretzki celebrated the last prayer service for Frankfurt Jews in the Philanthropin. Pupils and teachers of the Philanthropin were deported and murdered in extermination camps. In 1942 the school was closed by the Nazis.

After a varied history, when the building served as military hospital, emergency accommodation, administrative headquarters for the Jewish community, citizen’s meeting place, and office for Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory, it has once again – as of October 2006 – become a school for the Jewish community, named after Rabbi Isaak Emil Lightigfeld.

Artistic solution

A safety glass panel engraved with text was added to one of the existing glass panels in the entrance area, making the text easy to read. The panel assumes a prominent position and is completely integrated in the beautiful existing architecture. The text engraved into the glass has a timeless quality and lends the panel a dignified aesthetic appearance.

Execution

Deep sandblasted safety glass panel
125 cm (h) x 114.5 (w) x 1 cm (glass thickness)
Bullet-proof glazing added