Danish Jewish Museum

“The Danish Jewish Museum differs from other Jewish museums in Europe in that Danish Jews were largely spared the mournful years of the Holocaust thanks to the efforts of many of their compatriots and neighbors. This deeply human reaction distinguishes the Danish Jewish community and is reflected in the shape, layout, and lighting of the new museum. Mitzvah is the guiding light of this project, from which the exhibition of the new Danish Jewish Museum emerges and is materialized. The significance of this Hebrew word is a deep resonance, commitment, and lesson representing the Jewish experience in Denmark and an inspiration for the design of this new space.”

Daniel Libeskind, 2001

The Danish Jewish Museum (Dansk Jødisk Museum) was opened on June 8, 2004. Nearly twenty years passed from the first considerations about its establishment. The Jewish community in Denmark is not large, and thus financial resources had to be sought from various Danish foundations. Alongside the economic aspect, there was also the question of where the new museum should be located. The Danish Ministry of Culture ultimately provided part of the space in the Royal Library, whose 17th-century vaults are listed. The library is located in the very center of the city, close to several other significant museums. The Danish Jewish Museum is the opposite of the Jewish Museum in Berlin by the same author: it is well-lit, friendly materials and colors were used, and the slightly sloped floor is meant to represent the story of the rescue of Danish Jews (60 of whom perished during World War II). As the floor plan basis of the exhibition, Libeskind used the Hebrew word Mitzvah (a word used when referring to the commandments, of which there are a total of 613 in the Torah. In a broader sense, it also means any act of human kindness).