Initiated by B’nai B’rith’s Raoul Wallenberg Lodge, a memorial sponsored by the city of Berlin honors the history of its B’nai B’rith lodges, which were closed by the Nazis in 1937. The glass marker is installed at10 Kleist Street, the former location of the German Grand Lodge. The plaque’s March 20 dedication coincided with the anniversary date of the establishment of B’nai B’rith in Germany, in 1882.

The Wallenberg Lodge’s former and current presidents, András Kain and Richard Stern, unveiled the outdoor display.

Leaders from the Jewish community and B’nai B’rith spoke about Rabbi Leo Baeck, the eminent theologian who served as District President from 1924-1937. Baeck was responsible for reestablishing B’nai B’rith in Europe after World War II.

Germany was the first European country to have a B’nai B’rith presence. Its members set up and supported charities including libraries, hospitals, soup kitchens, education and social work programs, and “vacation homes,” which provided medical care and nourishment for poor children. The lodges trained doctors and nurses, and established cultural projects devoted to book publishing and the exhibition of Jewish art. Members and their children won medals for bravery on the battlefields of World War I. By 1930, more than 15,000 men belonged to 102 lodges in Germany, including nine in Berlin.