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Old Synagogue (Berlin)

Coordinates: 52°31′16″N 13°24′17″E / 52.5211°N 13.4048°E / 52.5211; 13.4048
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Old Synagogue
German: Alte Synagoge
Engraving of the former synagogue, undated
Religion
AffiliationJudaism (former)
RiteNusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue (1714–1942)
StatusDestroyed (during WWII)
Location
LocationHeidereutergasse 4, Marienviertel, Berlin
CountryGermany
Old Synagogue (Berlin) is located in Berlin
Old Synagogue (Berlin)
Location of the former synagogue in Berlin
Geographic coordinates52°31′16″N 13°24′17″E / 52.5211°N 13.4048°E / 52.5211; 13.4048
Architecture
Architect(s)
TypeSynagogue architecture
Date established1642 (as a congregation)
Groundbreaking1712
Completed1714; 1855
DestroyedNovember 1942

The Old Synagogue (German: Alte Synagoge) was a Jewish congregation and synagogue, that was located at Heidereutergasse 4, in Marienviertel, in the present-day Mitte district of Berlin, Germany.

Designed and built by Michael Kemmeter, the synagogue was built as a rectangular hall building. Consecrated in 1714 and remodelled in 1855,[1] the synagogue was known as the Great Synagogue until the opening of the New Synagogue, built in the 1860s to accommodate Berlin's expanding Jewish population.[2] Nevertheless, services continued to be held in the Old Synagogue into the 20th century; it was restored in 1928.[3]

The synagogue survived Kristallnacht but was destroyed during World War II. The last service took place in the Old Synagogue on November 20, 1942.[1] The site is marked with a plaque and part of the building's contours are marked with cobblestones.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Funk, Stpehan (December 14, 2020). "Destroyed synagogues of Berlin: Old Synagogue (Alte Synagoge) in central Berlin". Milgroym: Jewish Art & Jewish Heritage. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  2. ^ Walkowitz, Daniel J. (September 5, 2018). The Remembered and Forgotten Jewish World: Jewish Heritage in Europe and the United States. Rutgers University Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-8135-9606-8.
  3. ^ Gutmann, Joseph (1975). The synagogue: studies in origins, archaeology, and architecture. New York: Ktav Pub. House. p. 322. ISBN 0-87068-265-2. OCLC 1397887.
  4. ^ Dettke, Dieter (June 1, 2003). The Spirit of the Berlin Republic. Berghahn Books. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-78920-387-5.