Alsfeld inaugurates!Construction of the new synagogue

Around 1840, a so-called “Israelite religious community” was founded in Alsfeld. Its services were held in a house in Metzgergasse until 1905, while a new synagogue was being built simultaneously in Lutherstraße. As in many cities, many Jewish citizens were part of the urban leadership. They owned shops and businesses, paid taxes, and were able to build a new synagogue of considerable size for such a small town through donations.

The prestigious building, designed by the architect Adam from Fulda and constructed in a blend of Moorish and Neo-Romanesque styles, was inaugurated on December 29, 1905, in a “solemn, imposing ceremony with extremely large participation from the local and visiting Israelite population, as well as numerous representatives of the state and municipal authorities.”

On the evening of November 9, 1938, the windows of Jewish homes and shops in the city were smashed, and the interior of the synagogue was set on fire. Although the alerted fire brigade was forbidden to extinguish the flames by order of the NSDAP local group leader, almost all the walls remained intact; only the interior of the house of worship was severely burned. The following morning, members of the Historical and Museum Society (GMV) rescued cultural objects and the only slightly damaged Torah ark. The damaged synagogue building was purchased by the local savings bank later that year, partially demolished, and converted. It is still used as a residential building today. (MNic)