Synagogue (Oettingen)

Former synagogue in Oettingen

The synagogue in Oettingen , a town in the Swabian district of Donau-Ries , was built in 1852/53 and is located at Schäfflergasse 1, a tiny alley in the western old town.

history

The Jewish community of Oettingen built a synagogue in the 18th century, which was located on what is now Schäfflergasse 1. As this had become too small and the number of parishioners rose to around 400 by the middle of the 19th century, a new synagogue was built on the same property. It was inaugurated on December 30, 1853. The rabbi's apartment, which was attached at right angles, also belonged to the synagogue building .

time of the nationalsocialism

Round window with an inscribed Star of David

During the November pogroms in 1938 , the synagogue was not set on fire because of the danger to neighboring houses. The windows and the entire interior were destroyed. Among the destroyed rituals were 13 Torah scrolls , two Torah shrine curtains ( parochet ) and silver implements.

Current condition

Most of the outer walls from 1852/53 are still preserved from the former synagogue, which was built directly on the city wall. The house in east-west direction, used today as a residential and medical practice building, still has the oculus with parts of the original glazing. This oculus on the east wall ( Misrach window ) has rungs that form a star of David . The iron weather vane , formerly on the roof of the synagogue, in the form of the law tablets is now exhibited in the Oettingen Local History Museum.

Commemoration

Memorial at the former synagogue in Oettingen

On November 10, 2005, a memorial stone designed by the artist Fred Jansen was attached to the former synagogue. The names of the 78 Jewish citizens who lived in Oettingen from 1933 to 1942 are written on two movable brass rollers .

literature

Israel Schwierz: Stone evidence of Jewish life in Bavaria. A documentation . Published by the Bavarian State Center for Political Education in Munich. Bayerische Verlags-Anstalt, Bamberg 1988, ISBN 3-87052-393-X , pp. 260-261.
More than stones ... Synagogue memorial band Bavaria. Volume I . Edited by Wolfgang Kraus, Berndt Hamm and Meier Schwarz . Developed by Barbara Eberhardt and Angela Hager with the assistance of Cornelia Berger-Dittscheid, Hans Christof Haas and Frank Purrmann. Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg im Allgäu 2007, ISBN 978-3-89870-411-3 , pp. 522-529.