On the theme of challenging things for German history museums to tackle, this is a tefillin capsule as used by the Jewish community in prayer. It was likely made in the eighteenth century, but this isn’t really why the exhibit is important in this museum, it’s more what it represents.
On the 9 to 10 November 1938, Kristallnacht took place where Jewish businesses and homes were damaged and often destroyed. Synagogues were burnt to the ground and many Jews were physically attacked, with many killed and arrested. This exhibit was found in the wreckage of Glockengasse synagogue which was destroyed on that evening of terror. It had been built between 1857 and 1861 and was a beautiful building internally, one of numerous synagogues used by the Jewish community in Cologne.
Today, the city’s opera house has been built on the site of the former synagogue, although there is a plaque there to commemorate what was once here.