Old Synagogue (Erfurt) Synagogue

Address: Synagogenplatz (Old Town), 99084 Erfurt, Germany

Website: https://www.alte-synagoge-erfurt.de/

Hours: Typically Tue-Sun 10:00am-5:00pm, closed Mondays (check local listings)

Admission: Adult ~€6 (reduced rates available); family tickets sometimes offered

The Old Synagogue in Erfurt is a medieval Jewish ritual and communal complex in the city centre that survives with structural elements from the Middle Ages. It is notable for the rarity and state of preservation of its synagogue hall, associated rooms, and ritual bath.

The synagogue interior, surviving masonry and timber work from medieval phases, and the mikveh. The on-site museum includes displays that interpret the material culture and documentary record of Erfurt’s medieval Jewish community.

The building complex dates to the Middle Ages with construction phases spanning several centuries; scholarly study and conservation have revealed details of medieval urban Jewish life. A significant find associated with the site is the Erfurt Treasure, recovered in 1998 and now exhibited as part of the museum collection.

The Old Synagogue lies in Erfurt’s historic centre in Thuringia, within walking distance of the city’s cathedral and other medieval streetscapes.

• Age and preservation: Parts of the building complex date to the Middle Ages and represent one of the most intact medieval Jewish sites in Germany.
• Use today: The site functions as a museum and interpretive centre documenting medieval Jewish life, architecture, and commerce in Erfurt.

What to See#

• Synagogue and mikveh: The medieval synagogue hall and adjoining rooms form a complex that also includes one of the best-preserved mikvaot (ritual baths) in Europe.
• Erfurt Treasure display: A museum gallery displays the Erfurt Treasure, a hoard of medieval coins and jewelry discovered in 1998 and linked to the city’s medieval Jewish community.

The Old Synagogue lies in Erfurt’s Altstadt within easy walking distance of the Krämerbrücke. From Erfurt Hauptbahnhof (main station), it’s a 10-15 minute walk south across the river Gera to the Synagogenplatz area. Local buses stop frequently around the cathedral and Anger pedestrian zone.

• Climb the narrow stone stairs to see the iron rings where medieval carts were tethered - the small human traces reward slow walking.
• Audio guides in English explain the priceless medieval Torah scroll fragments and the mikveh finds - use one if short on time.
• Visit the neighboring Krämerbrücke and the Jewish medieval artifacts displayed in nearby museums for context.