Preserving a Legacy: 70 Years of the Leo Baeck Institute
A Beacon for German-Jewish History
June 18th, 2025
In 1955, a group of German-Jewish intellectuals, including Hannah Arendt and Gershom Scholem, founded the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) to preserve a legacy nearly erased by the Holocaust: the vibrant culture of German-speaking Jewry. Named after Rabbi Leo Baeck, a Holocaust survivor and spiritual leader who died in 1956, the institute has grown into the world’s foremost guardian of German-Jewish history.
As it marks its 70th anniversary, with branches in New York, London, Jerusalem, and Berlin, the LBI’s mission to resist oblivion feels more urgent than ever amid rising antisemitism and far-right extremism.
The LBI was born from devastation. When Leo Baeck emerged from Theresienstadt in 1945, he declared German-Jewish life “over once and for all.” The Nazis had murdered millions and sought to annihilate their cultural contributions—music by Mendelssohn, literature by Kafka, and the everyday traditions of Jewish communities. Yet, the LBI’s founders refused to let this heritage vanish. They began collecting diaries, letters, photographs, and artworks, creating an archive now spanning over 4 million documents, including treasures like Einstein’s letters and rare 16th-century manuscripts.
Today, the LBI is more than a repository. It is a dynamic hub for research, exhibitions, and public engagement. Its Berlin branch, opened in 2001, bridges past and present by digitizing archives and hosting events that explore German-Jewish identity in a reunified Germany. Recent initiatives, like the “Shared History” project, highlight 1,700 years of Jewish life in German-speaking lands, countering narratives of erasure. Scholars and artists draw on LBI’s resources to reimagine Jewish contributions, from medieval poetry to modernist art, ensuring they resonate with new generations.
The institute’s work also confronts contemporary challenges. As antisemitic incidents surge across Europe—Germany reported a 60% rise since 2017—the LBI’s archives remind us of the consequences of unchecked hatred. Its educational programs foster dialogue, emphasizing the diversity of Jewish life and its integral role in German culture. By preserving personal stories, like those of émigrés who rebuilt lives abroad, the LBI underscores resilience and hope.
Seventy years on, the Leo Baeck Institute remains a defiant act of remembrance. It safeguards a culture that refused to be silenced, offering lessons for a world grappling with intolerance. As Michael Brenner, LBI’s international president, notes, “Our work is not just about the past—it’s about shaping a future where no history is forgotten.”
