The New Synagogue, located on Oranienburger Strasse in central Berlin, was significant to Jewish Berlin. The New Synagogue was built in 1866, which became the largest Jewish place of worship in Germany, seating 3200 people making it the main synagogue for the Jewish community in Berlin. The new organ for the synagogue with reforms to the services assimilated the Jewish community further. The New Synagogue was almost severely damaged in 1938 during the Kristallnacht and was unfortunately badly damaged in 1958 during the Second World War. The restoration of the New Synagogue beginning in 1988 allowed it to be open to the public a few years later.

The New Synagogue is noticeable from it's dome shape among the surrounding flat buildings, making it stand out from the average unit. Edward Knoblauch originally designed the synagogue with an Islamic style and kept the design, which one can observe from the archways, dome style, colour and pattern. Currently, the New Synagogue is a museum and still holds much relevance. It holds Jewish memory in the Centrum Judaicum foundation and still remains important to the Jewish community. This synagogue was significant to Jews in Berlin because it was a sense of community. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, there was a large increase in Jewish migrants to Berlin, which is because of the strong culture associated in the city and the New Synagogue assists with that. The New Synagogue was an important building for the Jewish community in Berlin and it's central location and unique design allowed it to remain a significant aspect of the city.

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, occurred 9 and 10 November, 1938 throughout Berlin. This event impacted the New Synagogue and forms of resistance emerged from the night. A Pogrom was initiated to persecute Jews, which was largely disapproved by the public. They attempted to have the public side with them by claiming the demonstrations would be stopped and Kristallnacht is the beginning of the Holocaust to some historians. Reinhard Heydrich sent out instructions on what to do during the event, such as burning synagogues and destroying Jewish businesses and buildings. The New Synagogue was impacted by the events of Kristallnacht. There was a fire in the New Synagogue which was devastating for the structure. There were people who resisted this, which was significant because it countered what Nazi-Berlin wanted for the Jews. Even some of the police intervened with Kristallnacht. The police working the night of Kristallnacht realized the importance of the New Synagogue and know its historic value, ultimately stopping it from burning down. This act of resistance was crucial because the police chief gave orders to stop the fire when it was only to have been stopped if it spread to Aryan buildings. The police chief, Wilhelm Krützfeld, was summoned to court for the prevention of the burning of the New Synagogue, which he rationed that it was Moorish, thus being valuable to the German people. No immediate action was taken against Krützfeld, however, he was moved to a more chaotic sector of the police force soon after which was essentially his punishment. Therefore, the resistance was frowned upon by the authorities, but it was a powerful statement to save the New Synagogue.

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Heydrich, Reinhard. Transcript to All Headquarters and Stations of the State Police and All districts and Sub-districts of the SD. 1938. "Re: Measures against Jews tonight," November 10, 1938.

"History." 2017. Stiftung Neue Synagoge Centrum Judaicum. Accessed November 22. https://www.centrumjudaicum.de/cjudaicum_wp/en/geschichte/.

"Kristallnacht: Background & Overview." 2017. Background & Overview of Kristallnacht. Accessed November 22. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/background-and-overview-of-kristallnacht.

"New Synagogue." 2017. Startseite. Accessed November 22. https://www.berlin.de/en/attractions-and-sights/3560461-3104052-new-synagogue.en.html.

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Sullivan, Taylor. 2016. "Making a Statement in Berlin – New Synagogue." Berlin Perspectives on Architecture. https://berlinperspectivesonarchitecture.com/2015/11/11/making-a-statement-in-berlin-new-synagogue/.