Today we remember the life and legacy of Leo Baeck (1873–1956), one of the most important German-Jewish thinkers and leaders of the 20th century.
A rabbi, philosopher, and public intellectual, Baeck was a leading figure in Liberal Judaism and a tireless advocate for Jewish education and ethical responsibility. In 1933, following Hitler’s rise to power, he became president of the Reichsvertretung der Deutschen Juden, the umbrella organisation representing Jewish communities in Nazi Germany. He remained in Germany throughout the war, was deported to Theresienstadt in 1943, and survived the Holocaust.
After the war, Baeck settled in London, where he continued to teach, write, and advocate for postwar reconciliation. In 1955, a group of German-Jewish émigré scholars established the Leo Baeck Institute in his honour – an institution devoted to preserving the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry.
Today, the Leo Baeck Institute remains committed to that mission. Inspired by Baeck’s life and work, we continue to explore the German-Jewish past and its significance for the present.
Image: LBI London Pamphlet Collection
