Synagogue (Arnstadt)

The synagogue existing in the Middle Ages stood according to a report of 1521 "in the Erfurtische street, where anitzo the Bartolomäische rear building is' (meant: the property Erfurter street No. 17, rear house). It was probably a stone house, which also served as a dwelling for Jewish families.  On December 29, 1878 - after an assassination attempt and happy return of the German Emperor - a thanksgiving service took place. Teacher Ehrlich gave an address which included, "Merciful God and Father of all people. We thank thee that thou hast sent thy protecting and saving angel over our crowned head, that thou hast changed the days of sorrow and grief into days of delight, and hast restored our all-honored monarch to the headship of all his faithful subjects."  When in 1887 the Crown Prince fell seriously ill, a supplication service for the restoration of his health was held in the prayer hall on November 17, 1887.   
After 1900, the desire to build a new synagogue grew. Such a synagogue could be built in 1913 on a 600 square meter plot of land opposite the Ascension Church according to the plans of architect Heinrich Martin Schwarz and was consecrated on September 26, 1913 by Landrabbiner Fränkel from Meiningen. During the November pogrom in 1938, the synagogue was destroyed (see below) and houses and apartments of Jewish families were attacked and devastated. 30 Jewish men were arrested, locked up in the cellar of the town hall and mistreated, some of them were deported to Buchenwald concentration camp (among others Arnold and Manfred Arendt, Walter Hirschmann, Adolf Mendel, Kurt Lindemann, Hermann Simon, Herbert Leopold and Hermann Stern), where one of them - Alfred Gottfeld - was murdered.