Hermann Simon (born 1949) is a German historian who was for 27 years director of the Foundation "New Synagogue Berlin - Centrum Judaicum".

Early life

Hermann Simon was born in Berlin in 1949, the son of classical philologist and philosophy historian

Marie Jalowicz-Simon Marie Jalowicz (4 April 1922 – 16 September 1998) was a German philologist and historian of philosophy. She became known to larger audiences for her autobiographical account of the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany, which was published posthum ...

and the Judaizers Heinrich Simon. Hermann Simon grew up in East Berlin. His family was a member of the Jewish Community East Berlin, but which was very small because of the Holocaust and emigration in the postwar years. He studied at the Humboldt University in Berlin History and Oriental Studies, followed by graduate studies in Prague.

Career

From 1975 to 1988 he worked at the Numismatic Collection of the National Museums in Berlin. In 1988 he was involved in the first exhibition about Jewish life that in East Berlin (in Ephraim Palais was shown). Since the establishment of the New Synagogue Berlin - Centrum Judaicum in the same year he was its director. On 1 September 2015, he handed over the reins to his successor Anja Siegemund. In 2015 Simon was awarded the Order of Merit of Berlin. In the Berlin community, he is next to Andreas Nachama as representatives of the "liberal wing".

Family

Hermann Simon is married to Deborah born Rix and lives with his family in Berlin.

Selected publications

German

Hermann Simon beschäftigt sich in seinen zahlreichen Publikationen insbesondere mit Problemen der Geschichte der Juden in Deutschland. Er ist u. a. Herausgeber der Reihen "Jüdische Miniaturen", "Jüdische Memoiren" und der Schriftenreihe des Centrum Judaicum. Außerdem veröffentlichte er einige Artikel im Bereich Numismatik und Kataloge zu Berliner Ausstellungen. * mit

Irene Stratenwerth Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

(Hrsg.): ''Pioniere in Celluloid.'' Henschel, Berlin 2004, . * ''Die Synagoge Rykestrasse, 1904–2004''. "Neue Synagoge Berlin – Centrum Judaicum" Berlin / Verlag Hentrich & Hentrich, Teetz 2004, (= Jüdische Miniaturen, Band 17). * mit Irene Stranwerth, Roland Hinrichs: ''Lemberg. Eine Reise nach Europa.'' Links, Berlin 2007, (Begleitband zur Ausstellung der Stiftung "Neue Synagoge Berlin – Centrum Judaicum": "Wo ist Lemberg?" vom 2. September bis zum 2. Dezember 2007). * ''Jüdisches Berlin. Kultur-Karte: Museen, Gedenkstätten, Synagogen, Friedhöfe, Restaurants, Cafés, Shopping, Business '', Mosse Verlag der Jüdischen Allgemeine, Berlin 2001, 2003, 2009, / (''Jewish Berlin'', englisch). * mit Salomon Korn,

Julian Nida-Rümelin Julian Nida-Rümelin (born 28 November 1954) is a German philosopher and public intellectual. He served as State Minister for Culture of the Federal Republic of Germany under Chancellor Schröder. He was Professor of Philosophy and Political ...

u.a.: ''

Jüdisches Museum Berlin The Jewish Museum Berlin (''Jüdisches Museum Berlin'') was opened in 2001 and is the largest Jewish museum in Europe. On of floor space, the museum presents the history of Jews in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day, with new focuses ...

.'' Sonderpublikation zur Eröffnung. Mosse Verlag der Jüdischen Allgemeine, Berlin 2001, . * mit Beate Meyer, Chana C. Schütz (Hrsg.): ''Juden in Berlin 1938–1945''. Begleitband zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung in der Stiftung "Neue Synagoge Berlin – Centrum Judaicum", Philo Verlagsgesellschaft, Berlin 2000, . * ''Die Neue Synagoge Berlin. Geschichte. Gegenwart. Zukunft'', Edition Hentrich, Berlin 1991, . * ''Moses Mendelssohn. Gesetzestreuer Jude und deutscher Aufklärer.'' Herausgegeben von

Centrum Judaicum The New Synagogue (german: Neue Synagoge) on Oranienburger Straße in Berlin is a mid-19th century synagogue built as the main place of worship for Berlin's Jewish community, succeeding the Old Synagogue which the community outgrew. Becaus ...

, Verlag Hentrich & Hentrich, Berlin 2012, (= ''Jüdische Miniaturen'', Band 1). * mit Irene Stratenwerth und Marie Jalowicz Simon: ''Untergetaucht. Eine junge Frau überlebt in Berlin 1940–1945.'' Mit einem Nachwort von Hermann Simon. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2014, (die Geschichte seiner Mutter)Überleben in der Nazi-Zeit Eine Jüdin im Berlin der 1940er-Jahre
24. März 2014 **als Hörbuch: Nicolette Krebitz liest: ''Untergetaucht. Eine junge Frau überlebt in Berlin 1940–1945'', mit Originaltonaufnahmen von Marie Jalowicz-Simon, bearbeitet von Irene Stratenwerth und Hermann Simon, Regie: Vera Teichmann. Lesefassung: Irene Stratenwerth, 7 CDs (8 Std. 16 Min.), Argon, Berlin 2014, .

English

*''Jews in Berlin''. Seemann Henschel, 2003. *''Jews in Nazi Berlin: From Kristallnacht to Liberation''.

University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including '' The Chicago Manual of Style'' ...

, Chicago, 2009. (Editor with Beate Meyer & Chana Schütz)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Hermann 1949 births 20th-century German historians Historians of the Holocaust Historians of Nazism Living people 20th-century German Jews People from East Berlin