Reproduction of a decorative block from the Neue Synagoge in Berlin, mounted on a commemorative plank with an original brick

Cast of a decorative block from the southern facade of the 1866 Neue Synagoge [New Synagogue] in Berlin. It was made in the Grossraeschen (Sachsen) brick factory during a rebuilding of the facade in 1988, when approximately 5000 similar handformed ceramic construction pieces were created. Originally named the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue, it had seating for 3,000 and was the largest in Germany. It was damaged by rioters during the Kristallnacht pogrom on November 9-10, 1938, but was still used by the dwindling Jewish community of Berlin under Nazi rule. In 1940, the German Army seized the building to use as a warehouse for uniforms. It was heavily damaged by Allied bombings in 1943. It was later further dismantled under the East German regime after the war. The synagogue has been partially restored and now serves as a monument and museum.