Jewish building in Wilhelmsbad

After a mineral spring was discovered in Hanau in 1709, Wilhelm IX of Hanau had the Wilhelmsbad spa built in the 1760s and 1770s  The aim was to open the spa to all subjects - including Jewish bathers . Therefore, a separate pavilion was built for them. Offered were, in addition to their own rooms and bathing facilities, their own kosher kitchen.

However, Jews were still disadvantaged in many respects at this time. Why then did William IX have a separate pavilion built for them? In addition to a new accommodation for himself and his court, William IX thus also built something for his subjects, which increased his prestige. Other places also provided special facilities for the poor or the Jews. It was with the Jew building thus also around public work William the IX., which could represent itself by the building as near father of the country.

Wilhelmsbad was of particular interest to many Jewish guests because Hanau's Jewish community, which at that time numbered about 600 members, was very lively and could offer everything that guests needed. In addition, the bath benefited from its proximity to the large community in Frankfurt. This naturally attracted many Jews from the surrounding area, who then also visited the bath. A separate pavilion, which was additionally advertised, made it even more attractive for them. The construction of the Judenbau thus also had economic advantages for Wilhelm IX.

Nevertheless, spas like Wilhelmsbad served as an empowerment space for Jews. They tried to integrate themselves independently and actively into bourgeois society and - although forbidden - to take part in the dances and games. In the Christian population, this showed a growing defensiveness towards Jewish attempts to integrate themselves into the prevailing social structures, which is expressed in numerous letters of complaint in the Marburg state archives.