The Carlebach Synagogue – built in 1878 in Lübeck’s Old Town by local architect F. H. A. Münzenberger and inau-gurated by Rabbi Salomon Carlebach in 1880 – is one of the few synagogues to have survived the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ in November 1938, although it was badly damaged in the pogrom. One can only speculate as to whether it was the forced sale of the building to the city or if it was its location in a heavily built-up residential area that saved it from being desecrated by Nazis. Either way, the fact is that the building still succumbed to arson in the end.
After seven years of construction, the Carlebach Synagogue has finally been handed back to the Jewish community in Lübeck. The renovation of this house of worship was shaped by the growing terrorist threat. The new break-in and bul-let-proof doors and windows made from the Janisol HI steel profile system offer vital protection from such attacks.
Al-most 50 years after the end of the war, in March 1994, an arson attack by neo-Nazis devastated the entrance hall of the synagogue and damaged valuable documents. Only 14 months later, in May 1995, there was another fire – this time in one of the synagogue’s extensions.
The main entrance from St. Annen-Strasse into the front of the synagogue seems quite plain and modest. However, the construction combines the most cutting-edge safety tech-nologies, which meets a range of security requirements and is therefore able to with-stand any conceivable attack.
In 2014, a complete renovation of the listed syna-gogue began, under the leadership of the Lübeck-based architect Thomas Schröder-Berkentien. The ambition to ensure the best possible protection against potential fu-ture attacks played a major role in all planning decisions. “It is particularly difficult to incorporate high-security doors and windows into a listed building,” says Project Manager Petra Woppowa, who has been involved in the renovation from the start.
The greatest challenge we faced was from those security elements with round arches, basket arches and segmental arches
Steel profiles for maximum security
It was not an easy job for Thiem Security Solutions, Schkeuditz – the company entrusted with manufacturing and installing the new doors and windows. They specialise in providing custom solutions for the protection of buildings and properties, and manufactured the bespoke constructions using the highly thermally insulated steel pro-file series, Janisol HI. “The greatest challenge we faced was from those security elements with round arches, basket arches and segmental arches,” explains Managing Director Jürgen Thiem, "but we were also able to over-come these using the relatively slim yet heavy-duty steel profile and still achieve an attractive aesthetic."
The bespoke designs were developed exclusively in-house and the necessary tests and certifications were carried out in advance by Thiem Security Solutions. With the Janisol HI steel profile system, the company was able to construct the windows and doors in a slim design, ensuring that they would look the same as the standard constructions, with the relevant security features are discreetly concealed inside them. (AMR)
The original leaded windows from 1880 have been restored and reinforced with the latest safety technology, making them completely impermeable.
