Last year, the Leo Baeck Institute marked its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1955 by German-Jewish émigré scholars and intellectuals including Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, Hannah Arendt and Robert Weltsch, the institute was created to preserve the history, culture and intellectual legacy of German-speaking Jewry after the devastation of the Holocaust. Seventy years on, that mission remains as relevant as ever.
As living memories of pre-war Jewish life in central Europe recede, the challenge is not only to safeguard this heritage, but also to make it meaningful for new generations – so much so that “Bridging Generations” was the theme of the anniversary celebrations.
With its sister institutes in New York and Jerusalem, the LBI London is committed to engaging the Jewish community, academics, students and the wider public. Over the past 70 years, the institute has adapted to changing audiences and expanded the opportunities to engage with German-Jewish history and culture.
The Institute’s evolution can also be traced through the places it has called home over the years. From its foundation to 2011, the LBI London was housed in Devonshire Street in Fitzrovia, where it shared its premises with the Wiener Holocaust Library. Directors and large parts of the readership were former refugees with strong ties to German-speaking countries.
In 2012, the Institute relocated to Queen Mary University of London in Mile End. The move signalled a closer integration with academic life and research networks, while the presence of the grade II-listed Sephardi Novo Cemetery on the campus was an unexpected but fitting coincidence.
After more than a decade in east London, in 2024 the Institute moved to Russell Square, initially to a building on its south side, before settling in Senate House in 2025.
This move has brought the LBI into the centre of Bloomsbury’s academic hub, making its library and public events accessible as never before.
Yet the Institute’s reach extends far beyond its physical location. Digital resources and hybrid programming now enable audiences around the world to engage with German-Jewish history. You do not need to come to Bloomsbury to experience what the LBI has to offer. Many of its library holdings can be accessed online via the DigiBaeck platform, which collects digitised archival material from all LBI institutes. Likewise, its events are hybrid and can be joined both online and in person.
This autumn’s lecture series is dedicated to The Afterlife of the German Past and explores the diverse ways in which the German past shapes its present – in memory, identity, and political culture. Speakers include Alexander Walther on Holocaust memory in East Germany, Günther Jikeli on German antisemitism today and Pragya Kaul on German-Jewish refugees in the British Raj. Lectures are free of charge and take place at the newly refurbished German Historical Institute in Bloomsbury Square, one of the many neighbouring academic institutes with which the LBI collaborates.
The lecture series is just one example of the wide range of activities through which the LBI brings German-Jewish history and culture to contemporary audiences.
These include opportunities and publications aimed especially at researchers and students, but also a wide range of events for non-specialists, including film screenings, conferences and exhibitions.
The film club showcases free films on Jewish topics that are paired with an interview with the producer or director for greater insight. Moreover, the institute is planning two exciting displays in the fields of visual and performing arts for 2027, while one exhibition devised in cooperation with the LBI Jerusalem is scheduled to open on November 26 at the Leo Baeck College in Finchley. The Library of Lost Books aims to educate about the Higher Institute for the Study of Judaism in Berlin, by tracing the stories of their books after they were looted by the Nazis. The project was first presented at the Wiener Holocaust Library in 2024, but if you missed it, this offers a chance to see the state-of-the-art new reading room of the Leo Baeck College library.
As the Leo Baeck Institute enters its eighth decade, its commitment to preserving and promoting the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry remains unchanged. From library collections to lectures and publications, exhibitions and digital resources, the Institute continues to create opportunities for audiences of all backgrounds to engage with this rich history. Whether in Bloomsbury or online, it invites readers to explore its collections, attend its events and become part of the conversation.
It would also be pleased to hear from readers who would like to support the Institute’s work, by donating archival material, becoming a member, or contributing their expertise through service on our Board of Trustees.
For more information see lbilondon.ac.uk, lbi.org/collections/digibaeck/