Discover the Danish Jewish Museum, a state-recognized cultural history museum that tells the storey of 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark. Explore the museum’s exhibitions, which offer a deep dive into Danish Jewish history and cultural heritage.
Admire the museum’s architecture, designed by Daniel Libeskind, and explore the exhibitions that have been praised by both national and international press.
The light wooden panelling on the walls hints at the Nordic surroundings, while the sloping floors evoke the sensation of being at sea. It is a space that immediately stirs emotion in you as a visitor. Daniel Libeskind, chose the Hebrew word Mitzvah as the conceptual foundation of the museum's layout. Mitzvah means a good deed, referencing the fact that the majority of Danish Jews survived World War II by fleeing to Sweden. The museum's architecture tells a storey of light, in contrast to the darkness of the Holocaust in the rest of Europe during the Second World War.
The museum houses two exhibitions: the special exhibition Flight and Persecution in the 20th Century and the exhibition The Gate to Denmark, which tells the storey of the establishment of Jewish life in Denmark during the 18th century.
In Flight and Persecution in the 20th Century, visitors can view carefully selected objects brought to life through illustrations by artist Kristian Bay Kirk. The exhibition extends to the present day, as antisemitism did not end with the war but continues to exist—and in recent years, it has been growing in several countries, including Denmark.
The Gate to Denmark is the first part of a larger narrative about 400 years of Danish Jewish history. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the exhibition design studio at Moesgaard Museum.