Placement of the amud of the shliach tzibbur

According to Minhag Ashkenaz there is no kipeida in this issue.

Michael FRBSH

Hungarian Rabbonim at the 19th century, learned from Sefer Chassidim that the Omud should not be facing directly the Aron Kodesh, because we should not request from Hashem פנים מול פנים (face towards face). Therefore they said the Omud should be to the right of Aron Hakodesh.

As for Minhag Ashkenaz - we have pictures and illustrations of many shuls in Ashkenaz, in which you can see that the Omud was facing directly of the Aron Kodesh. This includes the Oruch Laner's Shul in Altona, The R'mo's shul in Krakow, the Pnei Yehoshua's shul in Berlin, and Rav Hirsch's shul in FFAM.
In the Piyyut we add on Musaf Yomim Noro'im we say: גשים מול ארון הקודש באימה.
Also the Sephardim have a similar minhag, since they Daven on the Bimah which is facing directly the Aron Kodesh.

Michael FRBSH

In the 19th century, the Reformers wanted to have the Bimah in the same place as the Omud is, having both in the front and up high, similar to the churches. This was one of the first things the Reform changed (although there were two Orthodox shuls that did so too, as a compromise with the people in the shul who were influenced by Reform).

There are many teshuvos about this issue, and many reasons were brought for having the Bimah in the center of the shul. One is so that Krias Hatorah will be heard better, another is because the Leining is like Mattan Torah on Har Sinai, where Am Yisreol were standing around the mountain, which was higher than everyone, as well as so that we can go with the Lulav around the place where we lein, which is similar to the Mizbe'ach (the Altar).

The Omud has been in the front of the shul for ages, as can be seen in shuls from the 10th century! The reason given for this is that the Shliach Tzibbur is a Shaliach and therefore stands at the front of the crowd.

Michael FRBSH