Prayer Hall Viersen Main Street

It is the former residence of Jonas Leffmann. He had been a resident of Viersen since 1807 and, as a trader in ellewaren, was one of the few Jews to hold a trade patent in Viersen since 1818. In 1822, he is even listed as a cotton manufacturer in the address directory of the city of Viersen, which shows that he had at least succeeded in advancing to the middle class of Viersen tradesmen. Nevertheless, Jonas Leffmann had to declare bankruptcy in 1824 and was not able to register a trade patent again until 1829.

In the Jewish community, Leffmann was an extremely important figure. In the period from 1817 until his death in 1847, he held the office of community leader. At this time he provided the Jewish community with a room in the annex of his home free of charge, which was used as a prayer room. After Leffmann's death, his son Salomon Leffmann initially took over the duties of the community leader, so that the prayer room remained in the house at Hauptstraße 79. In 1852 Salomon Leffmann left the city of Viersen and the Jewish community established its prayer room - until the purchase of the house Rektoratstraße 10 in 1860 - in the neighboring house Hauptstraße 81.