Jewish life in Erfurt

Permanent Exhibitions

Permanent exhibition Old Synagogue

The historic monument Old Synagogue as the most important exhibit also presents the Erfurt Treasure and engages with the Erfurt Hebrew Manuscripts.

Permanent exhibition Small Synagogue

The exhibition in the cellar of the Small Synagogue is devoted to the history of the third Jewish community in Erfurt in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Jewish Life Network

Old Synagogue

The Museum showcases the history of the medieval Jewish community and has the Erfurt Treasure and the Erfurt Hebrew Manuscripts on display.

Small Synagogue

The house of worship for the Jewish community in the 19th century has, since 1998, become a centre of encounter and home to an exhibition of Jewish life in Erfurt in the 19th and 20th century.

New Synagogue

The New Synagogue was built in 1952 and, as the place of worship, is the centre of congregational life.

Medieval Mikveh

A mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual purification in Judaism. The Erfurt mikveh dates from the 13th century and now belongs to the museum Old Synagogue.

Medieval Jewish Cemetery

In addition to synagogue and mikveh, the cemetery is an integral part of every Jewish community. The medieval cemetery was overbuilt in the 15th century. Its gravestones, however, were re-used as building material.

Old Jewish Cemetery

When a new Jewish community developed in Erfurt in the 19th century, a cemetery was established, too. Soon it became too small for the fast-growing community. Today, a memorial stone commemorates the former burial place.

New Jewish Cemetery

The New Jewish Cemetery was inaugurated in 1878. It accommodates gravestones from the 19th century up to today. Since 1994, it is officially listed as a "historic park and garden cultural monument".

Jewish Community of Thuringia

Re-founded in 1945, the Jewish Community of Thuringia (JLGT) today has approximately 800 members, 500 of which currently live in Erfurt.

Jewish Community Centre

The Jewish Community Centre, founded in 2001, is an additional cultural and educational facility for the growing community. What is more, it fosters the transmission of knowledge about religious and cultural Jewish life.

Research Group Erfurter GeDenken

As part of urban memorial culture, the research group creates places of commemoration for those Erfurters having been deported and murdered during the Shoa.