Leo Baeck Institute London

Hitler’s Mein Kampf: Reflections 100 Years On

Hitler and the history of the Nazis remain extremely popular topics and ones that never cease to attract people’s interest, even fascination. It is crucial to comprehend the nature of Mein Kampf, the mindset of its author, Adolf Hitler, and the ideology he espoused that brought untold tragedy to millions of people – death, destruction, genocide and war. The book presents a dangerous set of ideas, regrettably ones that still have followers today, one hundred years after Mein Kampf was originally penned.

(Un)Welcome Returns? Re-Naturalisation Rights of German Jews in Germany

Since 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany has allowed former citizens, whose citizenship was revoked by the Nazis due to their Jewish faith or ‘race’, to reclaim it. Yet, over the past 75 years, there have been significant changes regarding which German Jews – and which descendants – can enjoy that right. This talk tracks those developments, from the restrictive, often antisemitic decisions made in the 1950s, to attempts to uphold those regulations in the following decades, through to the 2021 reform of the German Nationality Act that finally redressed such exclusions.

New Academic Domain for LBI London

12 November 2024

The Leo Baeck Institute London is pleased to announce an important update to its online presence: our website has a new academic URL, lbilondon.ac.uk. This new web address, effective immediately, reflects our status as a UK research institute.

This transition also coincides with our expanded partnership with Birkbeck, University of London, and proximity to an array of key institutions, such as the Wiener Holocaust Library and the German Historical Institute London.

Commemorating the November Pogroms: Special Lecture Recording from 2013

5 November 2024

On the anniversary of the ‘November pogrom’ (Kristallnacht) in 1938, the Leo Baeck Institute London offers a recording of our 2013 event examining this moment in history.

The lectures, introduced by Sir Nicholas Montagu, explore the events of Kristallnacht and their brutal impact on Jewish communities.

Beyond Camps and Forced Labour: Current International Research On Survivors of Nazi Persecution

Eighth international multidisciplinary conference, to be held at Birkbeck, University of London, and The Wiener Holocaust Library, London, 7-9 January 2026

The conference will be held in-person only, with no opportunity to attend virtually.

Invitation for submissions to the 2026 Leo Baeck Institute Year Book Essay Prize in German-Jewish Studies

24 October 2024

The Leo Baeck Institute for the Study of the History and Culture of German-speaking Jewry is inviting submissions for its 2026 Year Book Essay Prize. The Leo Baeck Institute Year Book is a fully refereed Oxford University Press journal and covers cultural, social, and economic history. A leading journal in the field, the Year Book has appeared annually since 1956.

The Essay Prize was established in 2011 to stimulate new research on the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry, and to promote young researchers in the field. The essay can be on any topic relating to German-speaking Central European Jewry, and should have a clear focus on the German-Jewish dimension and context.

German Deputy Ambassador visits Leo Baeck Institute London

24 October 2024

On 22 October 2024, the German Embassy London’s Deputy Head of Mission, Karl-Matthias Klause, visited the new offices of the Leo Baeck Institute London in Bloomsbury.

Klause was welcomed by Dr Joseph Cronin, Director of LBI London, and members of his team. During the visit, the Deputy Ambassador was given a tour of the new office, which is now located near partners Birkbeck, University of London, the German Historical Institute London, and the Wiener Holocaust Library.

Leo Baeck Institute’s Library of Lost Books Wins Grimme Online Award in Kultur und Unterhaltung Category

18 October 2024

We are thrilled to announce that the Leo Baeck Institute’s Library of Lost Books project has been awarded the prestigious Grimme Online Award in the category of Kultur und Unterhaltung. This recognition highlights the dedication and hard work behind the project, which aims to relocate books from Berlin’s Higher Institute for Jewish Studies, closed by the Nazis in 1942.

Opening of the ‘Library of Lost Books’ in the University Library Frankfurt

We cordially invite you to celebrate the exhibition opening with us!

After a brief welcome, Dr. Irene Aue-Ben-David, Director of the Leo Baeck Institute Jerusalem, will present the project behind the exhibition. The Library of Lost Books is a worldwide search for the library of the Berlin Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums, which was once looted by the Nazis. Prof. Dr. Christian Wiese, Director of the Buber-Rosenzweig Institute at Goethe University, will then give a short introduction to the history of the university and the Jewish scholarly movement.

Celebrating Hannah Arendt: Philosopher, Political Theorist, and Co-founder of the Leo Baeck Institute London

14 October 2024

Today marks the birthday of the influential philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), born in Hanover and raised in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) and Berlin. Arendt, a co-founder of the Leo Baeck Institute London, is renowned for her profound impact on political thought and her dedication to preserving Jewish cultural heritage.

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