Synagogenplatz 23
52062 Aachen
Germany
Before the consecration of the synagogue in Promenadenstraße (today Synagogenplatz) in 1862 the Jewish community in Aachen used other prayer houses. The location of the first synagogue is not known. The second synagogue was located in Hirschgraben and was used until the consecration of the new synagogue. The construction of the synagogue in Promenadenstraße was necessary in view of the growth of the community.
The dedication took place in the presence of Rabbi Dr. Ludwig Philippson from Bonn. The foundation stone of the synagogue was accompanied by a certificate, here it says: "Our later grandchildren may recognize from this how great in our age, thank God, was the toleration against our co-religionists and how much our congregation has stood in esteem among its Christian fellow citizens."
The architecture of the brick synagogue looked very representative. The synagogue was enlarged and renovated in 1903 and 1929. In 1868, the community had a school built next to the synagogue.
Early in the morning on November 10, 1938, the valuables of the Aachen synagogue were looted and confiscated ,and then the building was set on fire. Involved in this were SA and SS men, police, Gestapo and other NSDAP members. The ruins of the synagogue were removed by the city at the expense of the Jewish community by the end of the year.
The square where the synagogue had once stood was renamed "Synagogue Square" in 1984 and a memorial was erected as a reminder. In 1993, the foundation stone for a new synagogue was laid by the Jewish community, and two years later the new synagogue was built according to the plans of architect Alfred Jacoby
