Burned in Alsfeld!Night of Broken Glass (Reichspogromnacht) – Fire at the synagogue

Jewish life in Alsfeld dates back to the 14th century. A formal Jewish congregation was established at the beginning of the 19th century, and a synagogue was built in Metzgergasse. In 1904/05, this was replaced by an imposing new building in Lutherstraße. With approximately 350 seats, it was considered oversized for the congregation’s size at the time (about 220 people).

During the November Pogroms of 1938, on the evening of November 9, the windows of the synagogue were smashed and the interior was set on fire. The following morning, the extent of the destruction became visible. Some of the exterior walls remained standing, but the interior was heavily damaged. Members of the Alsfeld History and Antiquities Society managed to rescue the lightly damaged Torah ark and the Torah scroll from the ruins. These valuable artifacts are now part of the municipal museum’s collection.

A memorial plaque at the former site, on the corner of Lutherstraße and Hinter der Mauer, commemorates this darkest chapter of German history. The plaque reads: “Here stood the synagogue, inaugurated in 1905, destroyed by National Socialist terror on November 9, 1938. The suffering of the Jewish people admonishes us to defend human rights and to resist violence and the lawless persecution of those who think differently.” (JP)