„Mazal-tov“ Jewish medieval heritage in Erfurt

In the following, you can expect a somewhat different city walk, far away from the classic sightseeing in Erfurt. We invite you to follow in the UNESCO footsteps of Jewish medieval life in Erfurt and discover 900 years of Jewish history in Thuringia and authentic places of Jewish life in Erfurt. Our top 5 sites of history have a lot to tell!

Stop #1 - The Old Synagogue (UNESCO world heritage)

We start our tour in the Waagegasse. Only a few minutes away from the town hall, there is the Old Synagogue. It belongs to the few preserved medieval synagogues and is also the oldest synagogue in Central Europe preserved up to the roof.

The Old Synagogue houses an extraordinary museum. The exhibition there contains exhibits that testify to the Jewish history of the Erfurt community, information on the building history of the synagogue, Hebrew manuscripts and the so-called Erfurt treasure. In the synagogue courtyard, gravestones from the largely destroyed medieval Jewish cemetery can also be seen.

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Cellar of the Old Synagogue with a view of the exhibition, ©Norman Hera, Stadtverwaltung Erfurt

Stop #2 - The mikveh (UNESCO world heritage)

A few meters further on, on the banks of the Gera River at Krämerbrücke, is the next point on our little UNESCO journey through Erfurt's Jewish heritage: the mikveh. It was discovered in 2007 during excavation work and, along with the synagogue, is a valuable testimony to the medieval Jewish community. The Erfurt mikvah is considered one of the few preserved Jewish ritual baths of the Middle Ages in all of Europe.

Even though the mikveh is only open to the public on guided tours, you can still see the immersion pool at any time during your tour through a window in the ceiling of the shelter.

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Interior view of the mikveh, ©Norman Hera, Stadtverwaltung Erfurt

Stop #3 - The Stone House (UNESCO world heritage)

Our path now leads us to Benediktsplatz, where a medieval stone building becomes the focus of our attention. This so-called "Stone House" is an outstanding testimony to late medieval building culture, which can be attributed to Jewish ownership at the latest since the end of the 13th century. Completed around 1250, an astonishing number of architectural structures have been preserved. Particularly impressive - and at the same time unique in Europe - is the preserved interior of the upper floor. In the cellar of the house, you can marvel at the display depot with unique gravestones from the medieval Jewish cemetery as part of a guided tour.

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Stone house and adjacent building to the south, ©Werner Streitberger, Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie

Stop #4 - The Small Synagogue

We walk just a few steps further and we are already at the Small Synagogue. Today it is a meeting place and houses an exhibition that provides information about Jewish life in Erfurt in the 19th and 20th centuries. Furthermore, a variety of events take place at this place of remembrance.

The small synagogue, now a listed building, was consecrated by the Jewish community in 1840 and survived a checkered history. At the end of the 1980s, the building history of the house was reviewed and a renovation was carried out. In the process, a mikveh, the Torah shrine and the women's gallery were found. Today, the prayer hall is in almost its original condition.

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View of the Small Synagogue on the banks of the Gera River, ©Stadtverwaltung Erfurt

Stop #5 - The New Synagogue

Not far from the lively alleys and squares, our city tour now leads to the New Synagogue on Max-Cars-Platz. It is still the place of worship and the center of a lively congregation. In this context, among other things, weekly Shabbat services are celebrated, which are also open to non-Jewish visitors at any time and cultivate dialogue.

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The New Synagogue, ©Dirk Urban, Stadtverwaltung Erfurt

Jewish life has a long tradition in Erfurt and is still lived today. In addition, special sites of Jewish culture and history can still be found in numerous other places in Thuringia. You can also take part in this lively Jewish culture at events such as the Achava Festival, the Yiddish Summer Weimar and the Jewish-Israeli Culture Days Thuringia.