Construction history
The Small Synagogue, dating from 1840, was the first Jewish place of worship to be built in Erfurt after almost 500 years.
After Jews had started to return to Erfurt at the beginning of the 19th century, following hundreds of years of banishment, the community needed a room in which to pray. Initially, a private residence near the City Mint was used for this; it is mentioned as being a "prayer house for Jews" back in 1817. In 1823, the head of the community at the time, Dr. Ephraim Salomon Unger, bought the building and had it converted for ritual use. From this time at the latest, there was not only a prayer room here, but also a Mikwe.
However, the building was in a fairly poor condition and was therefore demolished a short time afterwards and replaced by a new synagogue on the same spot.
A two-storey building was constructed, and this was dedicated in 1840. The classical building with facades dominated by large arched windows housed a prayer room with Torah shine and women's gallery, a Mikwe in the basement and living accommodation for an employee of the community.
As the community grew, the synagogue became too small, and the Large Synagogue on Kartäuser Ring was built. The Small Synagogue was sold to the businessman C. C. Römpler in 1885, who had the building drastically altered: partition walls for living areas were built in the gallery, and a suspended ceiling was added in the main room. The former synagogue was now used to store barrels and for the production of essences and spirits.
After the building was transferred to municipal ownership, it was converted into a residential building in 1918. These alterations and changes of use meant that the former synagogue was no longer recognisable, which meant that it avoided destruction in the Third Reich. The Small Synagogue continued to be used for residential purposes until 1993.
Refurbishment and use
The building substance of the Small Synagogue had been seriously neglected during the time of the German Democratic Republic, and its special history had been largely unknown.
It was only in the late 1980s that people started to take notice of the synagogue. As the building was investigated further, initial plans began to develop regarding its future use. In 1992, the Small Synagogue became a listed building. In the same year, the first concept was also developed for the establishment of a Jewish meeting place in this unusual location, which was approved by the City Council.
The Small Synagogue was then restored, and every effort made to restore both the outside and inside of the building to their original state. Both the women's gallery and the Torah shrine had luckily survived under the cladding in the prayer room, which means that the interior today can be seen in almost its original state.