Agnon House in Jerusalem - the home of the greatest of the Hebrew writers in modern times, and a laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon lived and wrote in this home for some forty years. It was here that he wrote the greatest novels of Hebrew literature in the 20th century: "A Simple Story," "Temol Shilshom" (Yesterday and the Day Before), "Shira," and dozens of other stories which continue to stir the imaginations of multiple readers throughout the world.
Agnon House is located in the Talpiyot neighborhood, which has grown and expanded over the years, and this part of the neighborhood is called "Arnona," named for the Arnon Stream seen from the east. The Talpiyot neighborhood was founded in the 1920s, and was defined as a neighborhood of gardens. The name "Talpiyot" is taken from the verse in the Song of Songs (4:4): Your neck is like the Tower of David, built to Talpiyot (interpreted to mean "to be ornamented for defense") Indeed, the neighborhood is situated atop a high and lofty mount, from which it was possible, in the past, to see beyond the walls of the Old City, Jaffa Gate and David's Citadel. Based on what Agnon wrote in his story, "The Sign," it appears that this is actually one of the reasons why he chose Talpiyot as his place of residence:
"…I built myself a home and planted myself a garden. In this place, from which the enemy sought to evict us, I have built my home, opposite the site of the Temple, I have built it, in order to always have our dear destroyed sanctuary raised above my heart…"
Agnon House, which was built in 1931, was planned by the architect Fritz Korenberg, who was also the "neighbor opposite" him. Korenberg, a German born architect planned the home as a modest and reserved version of the international Bauhaus style characteristic of the 1930s.
The home, built in clean and straight lines and covered with a light shade of plaster, is one of the few representatives of this architectural style in Jerusalem. Unlike most of the homes in the city, it was not built of stone, as the Mandatory Law which required this was not yet in effect for the Talpiyot neighborhood which was separated from the city.
The narrow windows of the house, covered with metal latticework which looks like fire scorches and lend the look of a fortress to the home. This is no coincidence – two years prior to the building of the house, the Riots of 1929 took place in Jerusalem, during which the neighborhood of Talpiyot suffered from persistent and consistent attacks by rioters, residents of the nearby Arab villages. Considerable damage was caused to property and to human life. The homes in the neighborhood went up in flames while the residents fled for their lives. Agnon's rented home was burglarized and looted, and his library was totally destroyed. The impressions made by the riots are without a doubt evident in Korenberg's planning of the house by which he sought to plant a feeling of security and safety in the hearts of the residents of the home.
At the time of its construction, Agnon House which faces the desert landscapes and the Dead Sea was the easternmost home in the neighborhood. Korenberg planned the front of the original home with the front door and the patio facing eastwards towards the view. Since that time, Talpiyot has changed beyond recognition, and the high apartment buildings which have been built around the home barely allow for a narrow view of the Judean desert landscape.
Agnon loved the neighborhood and its landscapes deeply and even wrote about it in many of his stories:
"Until Talpiyot was built, the king of the winds ruled there throughout the land, and all his ministers and his servants - strong and grueling winds there on the mountain and in the valley, upon the hill and in the gorge, doing whatever their hearts desire, as if the land had been given to them alone. One time, I happened to get there. I saw that the place was nice and the air was pure, and the sky pure blue and the land spacious, and I strolled to my content…"
Nevertheless, Agnon did not particularly like his own house. He complained more than a little about the dark house, its narrow windows, as well as the colors with which Korenberg chose to paint the walls…
This is what he wrote to his wife, Esther, in a letter in 1931:
"My dear Estherlein,
… God willing, tomorrow on the eve of Shabbat Nachamu, I will travel to Jerusalem and begin to arrange the books and the house. It is my hope that you will not have to be much troubled with arranging the house. Brin surely wrote to you that Korenberg painted the house in a horrible and ridiculous color. It appears that for half a year we will have to be embarrassed ourselves and in front of guests from the color of the house, but to regret it is not worthwhile…"
Despite this, in this home, finally, after hardships and wanderings, he found long years of quiet, serenity and creativity. In the story, "From Enemy to Lover," Agnon speaks of his home, saying:
"I will not praise my home, as it is small, and I will not be ashamed of it for there are bigger and better than it. My home is small, but there is space in my home for a man like me who does not seek grandeur."
While the entry level floor served the life of the family, the upper floor was dedicated to Agnon's writing. The children were not permitted here when their father was writing or studying, and they had to keep quiet throughout the house.
Agnon's rare and impressive library is in his study with the thousands of books in it including prayer books, books of liturgical poetry, ethics, Kabbalah and Hasidut, the literature of deliberations in Jewish Law, midrash and agadah, and Jewish history – alongside contemporary literature. In Agnon's library, there are books from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century alongside ancient and rare books from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Agnon tended to write standing, leaning on the writing stand (the shtander) placed by the window. This habit was surely acquired during his many years of study in batei midrash.
Following Agnon's death in 1970, Mordechai Ish-Shalom, who had been mayor of Jerusalem from 1956 through 1959, initiated the opening of the home to the public at large – a special center for Agnon's literature and the story of his life. At the beginning of the 1980s changes were made in the home in order to adapt it to its new role: the original bedrooms, the kitchen and the family dining room were turned into a lecture and conference hall. Over the years, literary and cultural evenings were held in the home and many guests from Israel and throughout the world visited to the home.
In 2005, the Agnon House Association in Jerusalem initiated a project for preservation and renovation of the home which had grown old and there was a real danger threatening its continued existence. The preservation project was concluded and the home was reopened in the month of Tevet 5769, January 2009.
Agnon House is located in the Talpiyot neighborhood, which has grown and expanded over the years, and this part of the neighborhood is called "Arnona," named for the Arnon Stream seen from the east. The Talpiyot neighborhood was founded in the 1920s, and was defined as a neighborhood of gardens. The name "Talpiyot" is taken from the verse in the Song of Songs (4:4): Your neck is like the Tower of David, built to Talpiyot (interpreted to mean "to be ornamented for defense") Indeed, the neighborhood is situated atop a high and lofty mount, from which it was possible, in the past, to see beyond the walls of the Old City, Jaffa Gate and David's Citadel. Based on what Agnon wrote in his story, "The Sign," it appears that this is actually one of the reasons why he chose Talpiyot as his place of residence:
"…I built myself a home and planted myself a garden. In this place, from which the enemy sought to evict us, I have built my home, opposite the site of the Temple, I have built it, in order to always have our dear destroyed sanctuary raised above my heart…"
Agnon House, which was built in 1931, was planned by the architect Fritz Korenberg, who was also the "neighbor opposite" him. Korenberg, a German born architect planned the home as a modest and reserved version of the international Bauhaus style characteristic of the 1930s.
The home, built in clean and straight lines and covered with a light shade of plaster, is one of the few representatives of this architectural style in Jerusalem. Unlike most of the homes in the city, it was not built of stone, as the Mandatory Law which required this was not yet in effect for the Talpiyot neighborhood which was separated from the city.
The narrow windows of the house, covered with metal latticework which looks like fire scorches and lend the look of a fortress to the home. This is no coincidence – two years prior to the building of the house, the Riots of 1929 took place in Jerusalem, during which the neighborhood of Talpiyot suffered from persistent and consistent attacks by rioters, residents of the nearby Arab villages. Considerable damage was caused to property and to human life. The homes in the neighborhood went up in flames while the residents fled for their lives. Agnon's rented home was burglarized and looted, and his library was totally destroyed. The impressions made by the riots are without a doubt evident in Korenberg's planning of the house by which he sought to plant a feeling of security and safety in the hearts of the residents of the home.
At the time of its construction, Agnon House which faces the desert landscapes and the Dead Sea was the easternmost home in the neighborhood. Korenberg planned the front of the original home with the front door and the patio facing eastwards towards the view. Since that time, Talpiyot has changed beyond recognition, and the high apartment buildings which have been built around the home barely allow for a narrow view of the Judean desert landscape.
Agnon loved the neighborhood and its landscapes deeply and even wrote about it in many of his stories:
"Until Talpiyot was built, the king of the winds ruled there throughout the land, and all his ministers and his servants - strong and grueling winds there on the mountain and in the valley, upon the hill and in the gorge, doing whatever their hearts desire, as if the land had been given to them alone. One time, I happened to get there. I saw that the place was nice and the air was pure, and the sky pure blue and the land spacious, and I strolled to my content…"
Nevertheless, Agnon did not particularly like his own house. He complained more than a little about the dark house, its narrow windows, as well as the colors with which Korenberg chose to paint the walls…
This is what he wrote to his wife, Esther, in a letter in 1931:
"My dear Estherlein,
… God willing, tomorrow on the eve of Shabbat Nachamu, I will travel to Jerusalem and begin to arrange the books and the house. It is my hope that you will not have to be much troubled with arranging the house. Brin surely wrote to you that Korenberg painted the house in a horrible and ridiculous color. It appears that for half a year we will have to be embarrassed ourselves and in front of guests from the color of the house, but to regret it is not worthwhile…"
Despite this, in this home, finally, after hardships and wanderings, he found long years of quiet, serenity and creativity. In the story, "From Enemy to Lover," Agnon speaks of his home, saying:
"I will not praise my home, as it is small, and I will not be ashamed of it for there are bigger and better than it. My home is small, but there is space in my home for a man like me who does not seek grandeur."
While the entry level floor served the life of the family, the upper floor was dedicated to Agnon's writing. The children were not permitted here when their father was writing or studying, and they had to keep quiet throughout the house.
Agnon's rare and impressive library is in his study with the thousands of books in it including prayer books, books of liturgical poetry, ethics, Kabbalah and Hasidut, the literature of deliberations in Jewish Law, midrash and agadah, and Jewish history – alongside contemporary literature. In Agnon's library, there are books from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century alongside ancient and rare books from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Agnon tended to write standing, leaning on the writing stand (the shtander) placed by the window. This habit was surely acquired during his many years of study in batei midrash.
Following Agnon's death in 1970, Mordechai Ish-Shalom, who had been mayor of Jerusalem from 1956 through 1959, initiated the opening of the home to the public at large – a special center for Agnon's literature and the story of his life. At the beginning of the 1980s changes were made in the home in order to adapt it to its new role: the original bedrooms, the kitchen and the family dining room were turned into a lecture and conference hall. Over the years, literary and cultural evenings were held in the home and many guests from Israel and throughout the world visited to the home.
In 2005, the Agnon House Association in Jerusalem initiated a project for preservation and renovation of the home which had grown old and there was a real danger threatening its continued existence. The preservation project was concluded and the home was reopened in the month of Tevet 5769, January 2009.
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The Shai Agnon House Jerusalem, Agnon museum, is filled with permanent exhibitions on Agnon's life. Born in 1888 in the Ukraine, Agnon is one of the most famous Israeli authors. Displayed in his house in Jerusalem are films about his life, collections of his works, and his original library. His home in Talpiot, built in 1931 in the Bauhaus style, was turned into a museum, Beit Agnon.
Agnon House Museum Jerusalem
Agnon House Museum Jerusalem - Opening hours
sun 09:00-13:00
mon 09:00-13:00
tue 09:00-13:00
wed 09:00-13:00
thu 09:00-13:00
Group visits on arrangement by phone 972-2-6716498
Admission
Adult 15 NIS, Senior citizen/Student 10 NIS
Address
16, Klauzner St., Jerusalem
Location
Near Diplomat Hotel
Transportation
Bus no. 7
Phone
972-2-6716498
sun 09:00-13:00
mon 09:00-13:00
tue 09:00-13:00
wed 09:00-13:00
thu 09:00-13:00
Group visits on arrangement by phone 972-2-6716498
Admission
Adult 15 NIS, Senior citizen/Student 10 NIS
Address
16, Klauzner St., Jerusalem
Location
Near Diplomat Hotel
Transportation
Bus no. 7
Phone
972-2-6716498
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"Agnon. As you may well know, Shmuel Yossef Agnon - at the age of 78 years - and Nelly Sachs won the Nobel Prize of literature together in 1966. [A side remark: Agnon was most probably inspired by Kafka - although he refused to admit it...he was once asked whether he was acquainted with Kafka's writings and his response -- with his special sense of humor - was: I've never read Kafka although my wife did..."
Agnon House Jerusalem
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