Former synagogue in Wittlich

The former synagogue is testament to what was once a flourishing Jewish community in Wittlich, although the magnificent place of worship was badly damaged in the Night of Broken Glass in 1938.

Welcome to Former synagogue in Wittlich

In 1910 the Jewish religious community of Wittlich built the magnificent new synagogue. The district architect Johannes Vienken oriented himself to the Darmstadt synagogue during the planning. Thus, the traditionally prescribed synagogue layout, a rectangular main room for the men with a narrow east-facing niche as a storage place for the Torah scrolls and with galleries for the women on the other three sides, was realized with elements from the Neo-Romanesque and Art Nouveau periods. In 1938 the synagogue was desecrated by the Nazis, who destroyed the interior and only refrained from setting fire to the building for fear of endangering the houses nearby. After 1945 there was no longer a Jewish population in Wittlich and the synagogue became the property of the Jewish Community of Trier, which sold it to the town of Wittlich in the 1970s. The de-designated building was extensively restored with federal funds and opened in 1985 as a cultural and conference centre. A further renovation took place in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the synagogue. It is one of the largest in Rheinland-Pfalz and its aesthetics still fascinates the numerous visitors today. Attached to the synagogue is the permanent exhibition "Jewish Life in Wittlich.

Source: DataHub Rheinland-Pfalz