Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki presents the history of Sephardic Jews and Jewish life in the city. The collection of the museum was based on the documents, ritual objects, and photographic collections as well as the library that used to be housed at Vasileos Herakleiou 26. The building was built in 1904 by the Italian architect, Vitaliano Poselli.

On the ground level are monumental stones and inscriptions that were once found in the great Jewish necropolis that lay to the east of the city walls. Accompanying these stones are a series of photographs showing the cemetery and visitors as it was in 1914.

Central to the first floor is a narrative history of the Jewish presence in Thessaloniki from the 3rd century BCE until the Second World War. A separate exhibit focuses on the Shoah, as it affected the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki. The majority of the community - some 49,000 persons - was systematically deported to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen where most of them perished.

References:

Wikipedia

Museums in Greece

User Reviews

Elena Kudrya (4 years ago)
I was very impressed about the history of Jewish people in Thessaloniki. Also, this city was the centre of the Cabbala organization - the mysterious branch of Jewish religion. Highly recommend to whom are interested in history.

Sophia Korb Cohon (4 years ago)
Lovely and touching museum about the Jews of the Thessaloniki, from ancient times until modern. Detailed history, including about the architecture and renovation of the museum itself. Signage in Hebrew and Greek, I couldn't get the Android app to work. My only regret was not having more time to spend; we were rushing to a Roman and Jewish tour of the city. Loved the permanent exhibit about brides without smiles.

Barkay Guttel (4 years ago)
The place is really interesting and worth a visit. It includes information and exhibitions of the Jewish community before, during and after the Holocaust. Free entrance for students so don't forget your card!

Olaf Kolbatz (4 years ago)
As a specialist in Jewish history I am very critical but first of all very very nice stuff!!! And the exhibition is very well done but I would have liked to get to know about the present situation of Jews living in Thessaloniki.

Dr Dorothy Lobel King (5 years ago)
By far the most comprehensive Jewish museum in Greece.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche