Do you know who Julius Spanier was?
A quest for clues by the Department of Jewish History and Culture at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

An exhibition in the Study Area at the Jewish Museum Munich

At the beginning of this museum project there was a big question mark behind the name Julius Spanier. Who was this man who had such an influence in Munich during his lifetime, who lived here and loved the city? Bit by bit, three students managed to reconstruct a life, which could hardly have been more fascinating, multifaceted, and impressive, through their research in archives and the places where Spanier worked. Julius Spanier was a resident of Munich by conviction, a passionate physician, a practicing Jew, a survivor of the Shoah, and one who returned to live here—a man with a strong personality and a fascinating biography.

Against this background, another question begs to be answered: What is left after someone dies? The answer is sobering: astonishingly little if nothing is done to uphold a person’s memory. And as Julius Spanier was such an exceptional individual, this exhibition aims to contribute toward rekindling a knowledge of his work and perhaps keeping his memory alive for the future.