Berlin's Jewish Hospital

The Jewish Hospital in Berlin

The Jewish Hospital in Berlin (German: Jüdisches Krankenhaus Berlin) was founded in 1756 and moved to its current location in the Wedding District in 1914 (just before Germany entered World War 1.)

It was funded by the Jewish Community of Berlin from 1756 until 1963.

Throughout its History Berlin’s Jewish Hospital had a great reputation for its Modern and Effective Treatments and was well-respected throughout Germany and Europe.

From its Founding in 1756 until the Nazis came to power in 1933 Berlin’s Jewish Hospital treated Patients of all Faiths (Catholic, Protestant and Jews.)

It was only after the Nazis came to power in 1933 and made it illegal for Jewish Doctors and Nurses to treat Non-Jewish Patients (ie. Aryans) that Berlin’s Jewish Hospital was forced to turn Non-Jewish Patients away.

Walter Lustig was the Director of Berlin’s Jewish Hospital during World War 2.

Lustig was born in Ratibor, Germany (Present Day: Racibórz in Poland) in 1891 and moved to Berlin in 1927.

He worked as the Head of the Medical Department for the Berlin Police Force until the Nazis forced him out for being Jewish.

In 1939 Lustig became Head of the Healthcare Division of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany.

The Reich Association of Jews in Germany or RAJG (German: Reichsvereinigung der Juden in Deutschland) was created by the Nazis in February 1939 to register the Jews in Germany and their Property and then to aid the Nazis in deporting the German Jews to the Death Camps.

Every single Jewish Man, Woman and Child in Nazi Germany and Austria was made to become a Member of the RAJG.

In September 1941 every Jewish Man, Woman and Child (above 6 years old) in Nazi Germany and Austria had to get their Mandatory Yellow Stars of David from the RAJG and pay for each one with Reichsmarks and Clothing Ration Coupons.

In October 1941, Lustig was made the Head of Berlin’s Jewish Hospital.

In December 1941 the Germans set-up a "Screening Unit for Transport Complaints" to screen the health of the Jewish Men, Women and Children they planned to deport from Berlin to the Death Camps in German-Occupied Poland.

The Germans only wanted to murder healthy Jews.

Unhealthy Jews were allowed to stay either in the Hospital or at their Home for 3 months.

Pregnant Women would be exempt from Deportation only if they were about to give birth and then after they had their Baby they were both Deported.

In October 1942 the Germans forced Lustig to 91 Employees of Berlin’s Jewish Hospital for Deportation out of Berlin to the Death Camps.

During the Factory Action (German: Fabrikaktion) of February 1943 which saw the Nazis wanting to deport the final Jews of Berlin (15,100 - mostly Half-Hews and Jews married to Non-Jews) and make the city  Judenfrei (English: Cleansed of Jews) Lustig succeeded in convincing the Nazis not to close the Hospital, but 300 Hospital Employees and their Families were deported from Berlin to the Death Camps.

The RAJG was officially disbanded in June 1943 (since the Nazis had declared there to be no more Jews in Nazi Germany or Austria.)

The Nazis then had the Gestapo directly oversee Lustig at Berlin’s Jewish Hospital.

On April 19, 1945, as the War in Germany was coming to an end, the head of the Jewish Affairs Department of the Gestapo, Erich Möller, ordered that all Jews at Berlin’s Jewish Hospital be shot.

Curt Naumann, a Jewish Former Bank Clerk who was forced to work at Berlin’s Jewish Hospital running errands (including finding things for the Nazis on the Black Market) used his influence to get the Shooting Order revoked.

On April 24, 1945 the Soviet Red Army entered Berlin’s Jewish Hospital and found 1,000 Jewish Employees and 370 Patients including 93 Children.

Berlin surrendered to the Soviets on May 2, 1945.

World War 2 ended in Germany on May 8, 1945.

Walter Lustig was arrested by the Soviets as a Nazi Collaborator (for aiding in the Deportations from the Hospital to the Death Camps) and last seen in June 1945 in an official Soviet Limousine being driven out of Berlin where it is believed he was shot.

After the War, Berlin’s Jewish Hospital  found itself in the Soviet Occupation Zone in East Berlin (later East Berlin, East Germany.)

Berlin’s Jewish Hospital continued to function (opening up to both Jews and Non-Jews after a 12 year forced restriction) although with limited supplies and Manpower.

Before the Holocaust Berlin had a Jewish Population of 172,000 Men, Women and Children, but after 1945 there were less than 6,000 alive in the City.

Because of that the Jewish Community of Berlin was unable to fully fund the Hospital and converted to a Foundation (one of the few in Communist East Germany) in 1963 where it receives financial support from the East Berlin City Government.

In October 1990 East Germany reunited with West Germany and East Berlin reunited with East Berlin.

In December 2025 Berlin’s Jewish Hospital filed for Bankruptcy.

As of 2026, Berlin’s Jewish Hospital remains open in the Gesundbrunnen District of Berlin.

It currently has 345 Hospital Beds and 500 Employees.

The future of Berlin’s Jewish Hospital remains up in the air.

It may be bought by another Hospital Operator and merged, it may find an Investor and remain open or it may be closed (after 270 years in operation including during the Holocaust.)