The Jewish Museum of the Old Synagogue Memorial Site (“Begegnungsstätte Alte Synagoge“) in Wuppertal now also has an audio guide in English.

The Jewish Museum of the Old Synagogue Memorial Site tells the story of the Jewish people of the Bergische Land through numerous objects, documents, and photographs covering more than 200 years of Jewish history in the area. Most of the items in the exhibits were donated by Jewish families currently living in the USA and in Israel, as well as in many European countries, such as the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and France.

Now, not only German-speaking visitors but also all others will be able to explore the exhibition using our audio guide in English. More than 40 data points provide information about the Jewish faith, the Jewish people living in Wuppertal today, the era of the emancipation of the Jewish people, the Jewish soldiers who fought in the First World War, the Holocaust, and the end of the Nazi regime.

Our volunteer, Ingrid Rodenbücher, was responsible for the translation, working with a team comprised of Jonas Meindl, also a translator, Sofia M. Starnes as the editor, Michael Dray as the voice, and Christoph Schönbach as the recording manager.

Samuel Steilberger Station 13

The Tietz Department Store Station 17

Chief Cantor Hermann Zivi Station 19

Architecture and Garden Station 20

Deportations Station 43

After the Liberation Station 45

Our team

Ingrid Rodenbücher

Ingrid Rodenbücher is a retired teacher of English, French, and German as a second language. She received her SuperlearningCertificate from Skill Institute and was Educational Director of IKL, an institute for creative learning which provides tailor-made training for executives. During her teaching career Ingrid established a bilingual English branch at one of her schools, and as Vice Principal, introduced the program How to Learn Effectively. She received a scholarship from the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program and taught English and German at Oak Ridge High School, Tennessee, for one year. After her teaching career, Ingrid transferred to the Ministry of Education of North Rhine-Westphalia, where she joined the Department for Educational Research until her retirement.

Sofia M. Starnes

Sofia M. Starnes, Virginia Poet Laureate, Emerita, is the author of six poetry collections, most recently The Consequence of Moonlight (Paraclete Press). Her work has appeared in numerous journals, such as Poetry, Notre Dame Review, Image, and First Things, as well as in several anthologies, including the Best of the Decade edition of the Hawai’i Pacific Review and the Poetry Society of Virginia Centennial Anthology. Her translations of several books by Saint Manuel González García are in press, and her collection of dizains, Ten, Tendrils, Tenderness, is scheduled for publication in 2026 by Able Muse Press.

Michael Dray

Michael Dray’s career has spanned teaching, acting, and directing. On a Winston Churchill Fellowship, he studied techniques of sign-language theatre at the National Theatre of the Deaf, in the USA. He founded Show of Hands Theatre, which produced classical plays, fusing the spoken word with sign language. The plays were then presented on tour. Michael also worked as artistic director for White Horse Theatre, a leading educational company. In recognition of his work, he received the Freedom of the City of London award.

Christoph Schönbach

Christoph Schönbach is a freelance communication designer who has been concentrating on audiovisual media for over 25 years. In addition to working on various design projects, he is a lecturer for Media Informatics at the Westfälische Hochschule – Westphalian University of Applied Sciences.