Alte Synagoge in Essen

Description

Located in the heart of Essen, the Alte Synagoge – Haus der jüdischen Kultur plays an important role as a site of Jewish remembrance and contemporary culture. The building stands at Steeler Straße 29, not far from the Essen City Hall.

The synagogue building, together with the adjoining rabbi's house, was completed in 1913 after a two-year construction period. Erected as a representative house of worship for the then-growing Jewish community, its central location was intended to make the social recognition of the Jewish population visible. In the design of the ornamentation and the stained-glass windows, the first rabbi provided guidance on traditional motifs. The inauguration took place on 25 September 1913; the building offered a main hall for over 1,500 people, galleries, an organ, as well as rooms for weekday services, community work, a school and apartments for the rabbi and cantor.

During the Pogrom Night of 9–10 November 1938 the interior was severely damaged by arson, while the exterior shell remained largely intact. Because of its massive construction the building could not be blown up and it also survived the Second World War without major destruction.

After 1945 the building remained a ruin for many years. In 1959 the city of Essen acquired the property and from 1960/61 used it as a Museum of Industrial Design. Synagogue fittings were removed and the interior was fundamentally altered. After further fires and changes of use, the city established the institution Alte Synagoge in 1980. Between the mid-1980s and 1988 an initial interior reconstruction took place; until its comprehensive redesign the house was a venue for culture, education and political debate. Since its reopening on 13 July 2010 the building has officially borne the name Alte Synagoge – Haus der jüdischen Kultur.

Architecturally the building combines Jewish‑Oriental and Western‑Christian elements; the main hall shows influences of late Jugendstil. The freestanding dome reaches a height of 37 metres; the building is 70 metres long. Three large entrance doors once bore medallions with Jewish motifs; six windows depicted the Jewish festivals: Sabbath, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

An inventory survey in 2015 identified considerable need for restoration of the copper roof and the natural stone façade. In coordination with the heritage authority, preparatory work on utilities and basement insulation began at the end of 2022; thereafter façade cleaning, re-covering of the copper roof, lightning protection and drainage are to follow. The measures are planned through the end of 2024; the costs are estimated at around 7 million euros.

The adjoining rabbi's house has been under monument protection since 1985. It was gutted by fire in 1938, served after the war as a community centre and later as the city archive. Following a major renovation, the University of Duisburg‑Essen and the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim‑Institut moved into the premises in 2011. On the night of 18 November 2022 the rabbi's house was the target of a politically motivated attack.

Today the Alte Synagoge presents five exhibition areas, ranging from sources of Jewish tradition and the history of the building to Jewish festival and everyday life. The house sees itself as a place of intercultural encounter, remembrance and cultural education.