Old Synagogue Einbeck
The Old Synagogue Einbeck is a protected architectural monument erected from 1798 to 1803 in Baustraße 15a in Einbeck in the Northeim district . It is an ensemble of the front building ( Jewish school and teacher's apartment) and rear building (synagogue, or in 19th century sources: temple). The front building was probably built before 1700 and was used by the Jewish community from 1798 to 1908. Behind the synagogue there is a farm building from 1919, which was built in connection with the subsequent use as a residential building.
Building history
The Einbeck City Archives contain a file entitled “Creation of a Synagogue Building in Einbeck 1798”, which contains an entry from the Jewish community regarding the construction of the synagogue and the approval of the sovereign. As a founder, Elias Meyer provided the community with the necessary funds. Sources are not known about the new building itself, from the entry into the fire insurance 1803 can be taken indirectly as the year of completion.
It is a simple, one-story hall building on an almost square floor plan with a side length of about 9 m, or a floor area of about 80 m². The wall stud construction in oak framework with originally 4.65 m high walls carried a hall ceiling. The entrance was on the south side. The tapped holes in the framework indicate a no longer existing external staircase on the west side, via which the women's gallery could be reached.
When the synagogue was renovated in 1868, gas lighting was installed among other things. Therefore, at the end of the year, the Einbeck synagogue board offered "five well-preserved brass chandeliers that are particularly suitable for a small community to buy".
Interior decoration
Wilhelm Friese described the interior of the synagogue in his city guide from 1890 and thus provided the only description of the lost furnishings. (In northern Germany today, only the interior of the Hornburg synagogue provides an impression of the appearance of such an interior .) Friese mentions in detail:
- the main entrance, above it was written in Hebrew : "Let us walk quickly to the house of the Most High!"
- the main door to the interior, above the Hebrew sentence: דע לפני מי אתה עומד “Know who you are standing in front of!” (This saying, often used as jewelry in synagogues, takes a formulation from the Talmud , Berachot 28b: “And when you pray , know who you are standing in front of. ")
- an outer, carved, gate-like decoration above the "steps of the altar" (in front of the Torah shrine ), on which the Ten Commandments were depicted;
- the Torah scroll cabinet itself, above it the Hebrew saying: וראו כל־עמי הארץ כי שם יהוה נקרא עליך ויראו ממך׃ “And all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of God is mentioned above you, and they will be in awe of you . "(A quote from the Torah: Deuteronomy 28:10)
- above the Torah shrine on the east wall a round colored window with the Hebrew text: אשתחוה אל־היכל־קדשך ביראתך׃ “I bow down in awe before your sanctuary!” (Psalm 5: 8b)
- opposite, d. H. in the middle of the room, a "pulpit-like prayer desk" ( Bima ), to which steps lead up from two sides;
- there were precious blankets for the lectern and for the Torah shrine ( parochet ) on which the names of the donors were embroidered;
- the Torah scrolls, some of them are said to be over 200 years old;
- there was also an eight-armed brass chandelier, a glass chandelier and a large table with the prayer for the king.
Church life
In 1842 the level of the Jewish school was honored: “A friend of the school system, of the Christian faith, found the opportunity some time ago to attend an examination of Israelite children in a local city. He had often made the sad remark in other Jewish schools in our kingdom that, since the majority of Jewish teachers are unfortunately not trained in seminars, their teaching could only be called insufficiently. This was not the case with the above-mentioned examination and I was all the more surprised when the methodical course of the lessons convinced me of the formal and material education of the Jewish teacher T. ... Einbeck, May 17, 1842. "
In 1857 the position of elementary teacher, cantor and slaughterer was advertised. With free apartment and heating, the salary was 230 thalers, the position offered "time and opportunity for not inconsiderable additional income."
In 1876 the position of religion and elementary teacher had become vacant again. The applicant should "be able to give a German lecture and act as a prayer leader and slaughterer." The annual salary was 1500 Marks with free apartment.
Reuse
After the construction of a representative New Synagogue in Bismarckstrasse in 1896, the building was de-dedicated, but it was not sold to private hands until 1906. Several conversions were made for residential use, including: The floor was raised and the roof was completely renewed after a fire in 1912. In 1933 a habitable upper floor was created by increasing the eaves height on the south side.
As a residential building, the derelict synagogue was not affected by the November pogroms in 1938 .
Monument worthiness
In 1992 the building at Baustraße 15a was placed under monument protection, because despite the changes resulting from decades of use as a residential building, essential features of the former synagogue building are still present:
- Segmental lintels in the half-timbered structure are reminiscent of the formerly large window strips of the synagogue;
- In the east gable, the location of the Torah shrine was still recognizable through a recess in the framework;
- Traces of the women's gallery on the west side: changed window shapes in this area, bulge in the floor plan where the stairs to the gallery were, cleaning problems at the height of the gallery.
restoration
In 2007, the renovation began with the gutting of the building. The topping-out ceremony took place in 2011 after the roof's original eaves height had been restored. In 2013 the windows were installed. In 2017, the facade was given a monochrome, sand-colored paintwork, as can be assumed for the early 19th century. The half-timbered beams are only faintly recognizable since then.
Friends of the Old Synagogue in Einbeck e. V.
In 2004 committed citizens founded the Friends of the Old Synagogue in Einbeck eV and acquired the building in order to preserve, renovate and revitalize it. In the spirit of commemoration and remembrance of Jewish life in Einbeck there are regular events: in May readings on the day of the book burning in 1933, in November commemorative events for the pogrom night in 1938.
In 2008, inspired by a citizen of Einbeck, after intensive research in close cooperation between the Friends' Association and the city, a memorial plaque for the persecuted and murdered Einbeck Jews between 1933 and 1944 was realized, which was unveiled by the mayor at the Old Town Hall on November 9, 2008 . Thus, including the four Jewish cemeteries in Einbeck and the memorial for the new synagogue destroyed in 1938, there are a total of seven Jewish memorials in Einbeck.
In addition, a total of 29 stumbling blocks were laid at ten addresses in 2016 and 2017 , which are included in the list of stumbling blocks in Einbeck .
literature
- Thomas Kellmann: Synagogues in Einbeck and Southern Lower Saxony - today , in: Einbecker Jahrbuch Vol. 49, Einbeck 2004, pp. 49–74.
- Thomas Kellmann: City of Einbeck. (Monument topography of the Federal Republic of Germany, architectural monuments in Lower Saxony, Volume 7.3), Michael Imhof Verlag 2017, pp. 353–354, ISBN 978-3-7319-0511-0 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Thomas Kellmann: Synagogues in Einbeck and southern Lower Saxony - today . S. 52 .
- ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums . tape 32 , p. 986 .
- ^ Thomas Kellmann: Synagogues in Einbeck and Southern Lower Saxony - today . S. 53 .
- ^ Thomas Ridder: Synagogues in Westphalia. In: Westphalian history. Retrieved January 13, 2018 .
- ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums . tape 6 , p. 344 .
- ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums . tape 21 , p. 149. 163 .
- ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums . tape 40 , p. 144, 177, 471, 488 .
- ↑ Building history on the website of the Friends' Association, accessed on February 10, 2016
- ^ Thomas Kellmann: Synagogues in Einbeck and Southern Lower Saxony - today . S. 56 .
- ↑ Information from the Board of the Friends of the Association of May 20, 2013
Coordinates: 51 ° 48 '56 " N , 9 ° 52' 2.7" E