Obermayer German Jewish History Award

Robert Kreibig

Berlin

Without Robert Kreibig, the synagogue in the town of Roebel, Mecklenburg, in the former East Germany, would probably not be standing today. The building had survived Kristallnacht. But, used as a garage and poorly maintained during communist rule, the building was in a dilapidated condition by 1998, the year of unification, when Kreibig became aware of it. "Very few people knew of the original function of the building. After unification, officials even considered getting rid of this 'troublesome' piece of history," says Kreibig, who currently lives in Berlin, less than a hundred miles away. 

Kreibig spared the Roebel synagogue from the fate of other extinct Jewish countryside synagogues of the region. Under his leadership, not only was the building saved and restored, but the four surrounding buildings were leased and converted into an educational youth center, including a hostel, called Engelscher Hof (Engel's Courtyard), named after a long-time Jewish family from Roebel. "He is a visionary, a realistic visionary," says his friend Rabbi Andrew Steiman, who helped build a new Jewish community in Mecklenburg made up of immigrants from Eastern Europe. "I, myself, could never have had the foresight for such a project, when I first saw the building."

Kreibig has been interested in preserving the past for some time. During the days of the GDR, Kreibig volunteered to help restore the baroque castle of Ulrichshusen in Mecklenburg, the region where he was born and raised. After reunification, he established and chaired Verein Land und Leute (Land and People Association) with its goal to preserve historic buildings in Mecklenburg and to bring culture to the countryside. At first, he thought of the Roebel synagogue as just another cultural project. But he soon realized this endeavor would include more complicated issues of politics, identity, and tolerance. "In a small town where people have lived together peacefully for generations, how could such an aggressive climate develop in such a short time during the Nazi era? This question interested me as psychologist," explains Kreibig, who also has a PhD in economics. 

With his multi-faceted expertise and his dedicated tenacity, he went about raising funds, dealing with bureaucracy, organizing the construction work, and defining an appropriate use for the building. He and two historians, also members of Verein Land und Leute, researched the history of the synagogue and the Jewish community in the local archives. Kreibig and his colleagues prepared touring exhibitions on German countryside synagogues and publications on local Jewish history. In addition, they contacted and invited former Jewish residents from the region and their descendants to visit and talk to the public about their memories. The group also organized research projects for local students and yearly international camps for young people, some of whom produced films on local Jewish history and helped with the reconstruction of the synagogue.

Even before the building was complete, Jews from Mecklenburg and Berlin watched the on-going construction work with interest and visited the site. "The building and its programs will be invaluable to the new Jewish immigrants settling in eastern Germany in their search for a positive Jewish identity," says Rabbi Steinman. For Peter Hesse, the last surviving Jew of nearby Malchow, Kreibig's contribution has been more personal. The painter, now living in Paris, had unsuccessfully fought for the restitution of his family's property since 1991. Kreibig publicized the case, writing articles about him, and helped him reopen his restitution lawsuit. "He is an astonishing humanist-unselfish, obliging, and energetic," says Hesse. 

With the opening of a 2006 permanent exhibition on regional Jewish history at the Roebel synagogue, a circle is closing for Kreibig. Among the objects in the exhibition is a suitcase. A local Jew purchased it for his emigration, but was deported to the camps before he could use it. Kreibig, himself, has some luggage in his metaphorical closet. At his grandmother's home, he was shown a suitcase containing the belongings of his great-uncle, an SS-officer. "I had played with his old toys as a child and this created a kind of sensual closeness to the man," Kreibig contemplates. "It has made me reflect on predeterminations in one's life-about indoctrination and manipulation of the individual." 

These are the kinds of issues with which young people will be challenged at the new youth center, scheduled to open in early 2006. Many diverse educational and cultural activities are being planned, from history classes, to discussions with contemporary witnesses, to international exchange programs with Israeli youth. As Kreibig explains, "We want to use the past to approach issues of the present. The central issue is: Where is the place of tolerance today and how can we incorporate it into our lives?"