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LBI 70th Anniversary Celebrations

Celebrating 70 Years of the LBI London

In 2025, the Leo Baeck Institute marks its 70th anniversary, which we commemorate with a series of international events, exhibitions, and public programmes under the theme ‘Bridging Generations’, reflecting the Institute’s enduring role in connecting past and present through scholarship and cultural engagement.

You can explore the latest news and a full programme of anniversary activities below, as the Institute looks back on seven decades of achievements and forward to new projects that deepen understanding of German-Jewish history and its relevance today.

LBI at 70

LBI 70th Anniversary Celebrations - Eva Reichmann Memorial Lecture
Join us for the inaugural Eva Reichmann Lecture: 
Eva Reichmann: Witness, Historian, Legacy
This special event celebrates the legacy of Dr. Eva Reichmann, a pioneering historian whose groundbreaking work continues to shape our understanding of Nazi persecution and Holocaust historiography.
 
Programme
Welcome & Introduction 
Dr. Joseph Cronin (Director, Leo Baeck Institute London) and Dr. Toby Simpson (Director, The Wiener Holocaust Library)… more
LBI 70th Anniversary Celebrations: Biennial Lecture 2025
Writing on the Wall: The Unfolding Persecution of Jews 1933 to 1939
Join us for a compelling lecture which explores the responses of Jews to incidents of persecution and humiliation under Nazi rule, from Hitler coming to power in 1933 through to the outbreak of the Second World War. It will argue that, while the Holocaust could not have been predicted, the level of persecution escalated during the period.
Professor Frank McDonough is an internationally… more
Leopold Zunz: The Revolutionary Who Transformed Jewish Scholarship and Integration
Leopold Zunz (1794–1886) was a pioneering historian and religious scholar who fundamentally changed how Judaism was understood and studied. The Leo Baeck Institute spoke to Dr. Rachel Livne Freudenthal, a historian and expert in Jewish studies. Dr. Livne Freudenthal works at the Leo Baeck Institute in Jerusalem and has published extensively on Jewish history, including works such as The Verein: Pioneers of the Science of Judaism in Germany (in Hebrew) and contributions to Jews in Berlin 1671–… more
Hugo Haase: Advocate for the Disenfranchised
Hugo Haase (1863–1919) was a prominent lawyer, Social Democrat, and later co-founder of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD). The Leo Baeck Institute spoke to Dr. Karsten Krampitz, a historian, journalist, and author with a doctorate in history. Dr. Krampitz has published widely as both editor and writer for radio and stage, and his recent works include the book Pogrom im Scheunenviertel: Antisemitismus in der Weimarer Republik und die Berliner Ausschreitungen 1923. In 2019… more
Deutschlandfunk Feature on 70 Years of the Leo Baeck Institute
To mark 70 years of the Leo Baeck Institute, German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk has aired a special feature on its programme Schalom. Jüdisches Leben heute ('Shalom: Jewish life today’), which offers an engaging portrait of the Institute’s international impact and evolving mission.
Moderated by Micha Guttmann, the broadcast brings together voices from across the LBI’s global network – including Michael Brenner (International President), Doron Rabinovici (keynote speaker at the… more
New Interview Series
We’re excited to launch our new interview series: ‘Civil Engagement and Democracy in German History: Jewish Experiences and Perspectives’.
This English-language project is based on Engagement & Demokratie in der jüdisch-deutschen Geschichte, first published by the Freunde und Förderer des Leo Baeck Instituts.
We begin with the remarkable story of Hans Litten – the Berlin lawyer who famously summoned Adolf Hitler to court in 1931. In this interview, historian Knut Bergbauer explores Litten’s… more
Deutsche Welle on the LBI at 70
As the Leo Baeck Institute marks its 70th anniversary, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle has published a feature on the Institute’s mission to preserve the cultural achievements and everyday lives of German-speaking Jews.
The article explores the founding vision of the LBI: ‘In 1955, ten years after World War II ended, a group of German-speaking Jewish intellectuals including philosopher Hannah Arendt and historian Gershom Scholem founded the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) “to show… more
Leo Baeck Institute London at the 70th Anniversary Celebration in Berlin
Last week, the Leo Baeck Institute London joined over 250 guests at the Jewish Museum Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of the Leo Baeck Institute. Representing LBI London was Programme and Development Officer Alice Riegler, who attended the event alongside colleagues and friends from the LBI’s international community.
Held under the patronage of German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the evening reflected on the legacy and future of German-Jewish history. Writer and academic Doron… more
Lina Morgenstern’s Illustrated Cookbook Brought to Life: LBI Unveils Online Flipbook
We are pleased to present a new digital flipbook of Lina Morgenstern’s historic Illustrated Cookbook (1907) – a culinary artefact that helped shape Berlin’s social landscape in the early 20th century.
The digitised copy comes from the holdings of the Leo Baeck Institute New York and is reproduced here with their kind permission.
Lina Morgenstern (1830–1909) was more than a cookbook author. A Jewish social reformer, feminist, and pacifist, she transformed public welfare and women’s… more
Feeding Berlin: Lina Morgenstern and the Fight for Women’s Rights
Lina Morgenstern (1830–1909) was a pioneering German social reformer, feminist, writer, and pacifist, whose influence shaped public welfare and women’s rights in 19th-century Germany. 
Gerhard J. Rekel is an award-winning Austrian author and filmmaker, born in Graz in 1965. His books include a biography of the Berlin social reformer Lina Morgenstern. In the interview, Rekel discusses Morgenstern’s remarkable life and enduring influence.
Born into a Jewish family in Breslau… more
Join Us to Celebrate 70 Years of the Leo Baeck Institute
We are delighted to invite you to a special evening marking the 70th anniversary of the Leo Baeck Institute.
The evening will feature musical performances by members of the Barenboim-Said Academy, an introduction by Professor Michael Brenner, President of LBI International, and a keynote speech by Dr Doron Rabinovici: ‘On the Reality of Yesterday and the Possibility of Tomorrow – On Jewishness in the German Context’.
“Jewish life in the… more
LBI at 70 – Hermann Heller: A Pioneer of Social Democracy
As part of the Leo Baeck Institute’s 70th anniversary celebrations, we spotlight the life and thought of Hermann Heller (1891–1933), a leading German constitutional scholar and social philosopher, celebrated for his defence of democracy and opposition to National Socialism. Heller’s idea of ‘democratic socialism’ combined social justice with a rejection of authoritarianism, and he argued that democracy must ensure social equality to remain legitimate.
Born into a Jewish family in Teschen,… more
German President becomes LBI Patron for 70th Anniversary
The Leo Baeck Institute celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2025 with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier as its new patron. Founded in 1955 by German-speaking Jewish émigrés, the LBI has become a global leader in preserving and studying German-Jewish history, with branches in Jerusalem, London, and New York.
President Steinmeier praised the Institute’s work in international research and the promotion of German-Jewish culture and history. “Leo Baeck ‒ and this is… more
LBI London Director Joseph Cronin on Hugo Preuß: Architect of the Weimar Constitution
Hugo Preuß was a pivotal figure in German history, shaping the Weimar Constitution and laying the foundations for modern German democracy. A liberal thinker and legal scholar, he envisioned a federal Germany built on civic participation and the rule of law – an alternative to the authoritarian traditions of the past. Influenced by 19th-century liberalism, Preuß championed decentralisation and individual rights, ideas that later influenced the Basic Law of the Federal Republic.
Dr. Joseph Cronin… more
Celebrating 70 Years of the Leo Baeck Institute London
We’re marking our anniversary with a new short film! Discover our mission, our history, and why our work remains vital today.
Featuring insights from leading historians, including The German Historical Institute London’s Prof. Christina von Hodenberg, the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism’s Prof. David Feldman, and The Wiener Holocaust Library’s Dr. Toby Simpson OBE, the film explores how the LBI London continues to engage academics and the wider public in understanding… more
Moritz Lazarus: A Leading Figure in Liberal Judaism
Moritz Lazarus, a prominent intellectual of the 19th century, played an important role in shaping liberal Jewish thought. His ideas on societal integration and individual freedom were groundbreaking for his time. Lazarus advocated for a society where individuals could flourish through their participation and contribution, rather than being defined by race or religion. His concept of ‘Volksgeist’ emphasized the dynamic nature of collective identity, viewing it as a product of human interaction… more

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