Berlin’s largest synagogue opened in 1866. The spectacular synagogue (which could seat 3,000 people) was the symbol of the Jewish community in Berlin. It's situated in the Scheunenviertel district (Barn Quarter) which was the heart of the Jewish community in the 19th century.

The original Neue Synagogue was designed by Eduard Knoblauch in a neo-byzantine style. State of the art construction techniques were used to construct the galleries and 50m high glided dome. The front of the building is facing Oranienburger Strasse, is furnished with attractive terracotta shaped bricks, accented by coloured glazed bricks. The Neue Synagogue because of its glided domes can been seen from high vantage points around the city.

The synagogue was destroyed during Kristallnacht by the Nazis in November 1938, it wasn’t until after the fall of the Berlin wall that the reconstruction started. In May 1995 the reconstructed synagogue was finished, setting off a revival of the Scheunenviertel district.

Today, the Neue Stnagogue serves as a Jewish Adult Education Centre, an archive and a Jewish Museum.