Following Felix Warburg's death in 1937, in January 1944 his widow Frieda donated the family mansion to the seminary as a permanent home for the museum, and the site opened to the public as 'The Jewish Museum' in May 1947.[4] Frieda Warburg said at the opening that the museum would not be a somber memorial, but rather a celebration of the Jewish faith and traditions.[2] The first expansion of the museum was the addition of a sculpture garden in 1959 by Adam List.[1] The building was expanded in 1963 and further by architect Kevin Roche in 1993.