Tahara House Allenstein (Olsztyn)

Allenstein was the capital of a government district in East Prussia and belonged to the German Reich until 1945. Since the beginning of the 19th century there was a Jewish community here. The building for purification (Hebrew tahara), i.e. washing of corpses and for mourning ceremonies at the Jewish Cemetery was built from 1911 to 1913 according to the plans of the Allenstein-born architect Erich Mendelsohn. After the Second World War, the building served the city of Olsztyn as an archive building for a long time. In 2008, restoration work began on the building, which is used as a headquarters and event venue by the Borussia Foundation Cultural Society. The opening took place on March 21, 2013. The renovation of the main hall was the first step in a comprehensive program of conservation and restoration of the Mendelsohn House. After the removal of the secondary concrete ceiling, a dome crowning the room was discovered with original paintings and mosaics. According to art historians, they are unique and very valuable. The ornaments and colors of the paintings testify to the influence of the famous expressionist artist group "Blauer Reiter" from Munich.