His father thought that becoming a rabbi was not a good choice of profession for a Jewish boy. His misgivings were not really necessary because by the time Andreas Nachama decided to start studying at Freie Universität Berlin in 1972, he had already made the decision to become more than just a rabbi – and he still prefers thinking outside the box.

When Nachama chose Jewish Studies and history as his major subjects, he had certain goals in mind that he continues to pursue. These include casting light on the fate of Jews between 1933 and 1945 and working to increase tolerance so that previously unimaginable atrocities such as the murder of six million European Jews and individual tragedies such as those experienced by his parents may never be repeated. Instead of one profession, Nachama has at least four: director of the Topography of Terror Foundation, rabbi, scholar, and publicist.

Link to the whole article (in German)

 

• The 1970s in the Chronicle of Freie Universität
• Link to an Exhibition about the History of Freie Universität Berlin

 

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