Synagogue

At first there was probably a prayer hall. In 1852 an "old synagogue" and a school are mentioned. They were located in the immediate vicinity of the old Jewish residential area (at the Zehnthof). In 1854 a new synagogue with a schoolhouse next to it was built and solemnly consecrated in the same year. The Jewish community had to raise about 7,000 guilders for the representative building. Around 1860, 45 children were taught in the Jewish school. In the synagogue there was a Torah shrine with six Torah scrolls. During the November pogrom in 1938 the synagogue remained undestroyed.

In the 18th century a prayer hall was established in the area of the so-called "Judenbau". The synagogue is registered under No. 12 in the ... historical plan of Bauerbach.

In the 18th century a first synagogue was built, about which nothing else is known. It had become too small around 1840, so a new one was built in 1844/45, which was consecrated on September 19, 1845. In 1879 a part of the building was destroyed by fire. However, it was not necessary to renew the whole building and the synagogue was consecrated again on August 20, 1880. In the meantime, people prayed in a rented room. In 1904 and 1907 the synagogue was modernized, in the latter year electric lighting was introduced. In 1922 the community renewed the synagogue roof.

In the Middle Ages there was a synagogue on the property Judengasse 4 (probably today's Jüdengasse). It is not preserved.

Initially, a prayer room was probably established in one of the Jewish apartments. In 1738 a horse stable on the north side of the castle was converted into a first synagogue. For this an annual fee of 2 talers rent per congregation member was to be paid to the local lordship. On April 30, 1841, the synagogue burned down. The nearby bakehouse had gone up in flames, which also destroyed several neighboring buildings, including the Jewish school with the teacher's apartment. For almost 100 years this building served the Jewish community as a religious center.

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.

Note from Prof. Bob Martens, TU Vienna

Since the Jewish community of Erfurt grew again after the end of World War 2, the community board already in 1946 made a first request to the city of Erfurt for the return of the property on which the Great Synagogue had stood until 1938. After a council decision on March 20, 1947, the community received the site back. Since then, they worked on plans to build a new synagogue.

The post-war Jewish congregation was founded in 1947 under the leadership of Hermann Baden.

The mourning hall built in 1894 has been used as a synagogue since 1953 following renovations, as the inner-city synagogue was destroyed under National Socialism and the property was put to another use.

Jews lived in Hagen according to written documents since the beginning of the 18th century. They did not have a religious center, but prayed in various private houses until the year 1819, where, among other things, a synagogue and a school were housed in an older half-timbered building.

It was not until 1859 that the Jewish community of Hagen was able to inaugurate its new synagogue in Potthofstraße. Forty years later, the house of worship was rebuilt and rededicated.