Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The Jewish community in Eijsden can be traced back to 1779 during which the religious services where held in a house synagogue. In 1782, a separate building was created along the Diepstraat to accommodate the Jewish services. The synagogue was located on the first floor and the small building expansion which functioned as the niche for the Torah ark can still be seen on the outside. The building continued to be used as such until 1935. In 1967, it received the official status of Rijksmonument. It is currently in use as a private residence.

The northern façade of the synagogue is positioned along the Graaf Hendriksteeg but the building can be accessed via the Jufferenstraat. A Neo-Classical brick gate can be found at the entrance of the terrain of the synagogue. It contains a Hebrew inscription of Psalm 55:15 and dates back to 1855. The synagogue, which was consecrated in the same year, was situated in a redeveloped sixteenth-century private residence. During this redevelopment, the building was provided with new pointed arched windows and a women's gallery along one side of the wall. The first floor of the building was opened up in order to create a larger assembly hall. The Torah ark (dated ca. 1799) was taken from the former synagogue in Arnhem, located at the Betincksteeg. After the Second World War, the Jewish community of Elburg merged with Apeldoorn in the year 1947. The Torah ark and bimah were subsequently relocated to the synagogue in Winterswijk. A Hanukah menorah of the original synagogue can be found in the municipality building of Elburg. The building is currently used for cultural activities.

The synagogue was designed as a simple brick building with a gable roof and pointed arched windows. The building was expanded in 1909. During the Second World, the synagogue was used as a storage space but the building itself remained relatively unscathed. The building has been owned by the municipality of Emmen since 1974. It was renovated in 1975 and subsequently in 1993. It is the only active Jewish shul in the province of Drenthe. The interior of the synagogue consists of a wooden vaulted ceiling, Torah ark, bimah and benches, which all date back to the original date of construction of the synagogue. The current women's gallery was added during the renovations of 1909. Two white marble plaques, positioned against the walls of the synagogue, commemorate the Jewish citizens of Emmen who died during the Second World War.

The synagogue can be dated back to the year 1791 and is provided with a small Neo-Classical façade, topped by a triangular pediment and containing large rounded arched windows with tracery. The main entrance includes a Hebrew inscription referring to Psalm 65:5b and the date 5551 (1791 CE). The Torah ark was located in a niche at the opposite of the main entrance, placed against the eastern wall. The Bimah was placed in the center of the assembly hall. The Neo-Classical Torah ark was later relocated to the Joods Historisch Museum in Amsterdam. A small women’s gallery could be found right above the vestibule of the synagogue. The synagogue closed down in 1964 after the Jewish community of Enkhuizen merged with Alkmaar. The building is currently in use as a church.

The monumental synagogue complex was constructed in a symmetrical manner. The three building segments of the complex are provided with a dome of which the central dome towers above the surrounding architecture. The synagogue complex includes small prayer rooms, classrooms, administrative spaces, a mikveh and residence for the Rabbi and Jewish tutor. The synagogue replaced an older synagogue (dated ca. 1865) which was located along the Stadsgravenstraat. A new proposed design was created by the architect K. P. C. de Bazel in 1918/19. After the death of de Bazel, the design of the synagogue was taken over by the architect A. P. Smits. The building plan of the complex was expanded but the rectangular-shaped assembly hall, topped by a large twelve-sided dome, as designed by de Bazel, was left unchanged. The ornamental details of the architecture are reminiscent of Egyptian and oriental building styles. The building was consecrated as for Jewish religious services in the year 1928. It was renovated by the architect S. B. de Boer in 2001/03. The same architect designed the cemetery chapel of Enschede along the Noord Esmarkerrondweg which was designed in a similar architectural style.

The Synagogue in Ettelbruck is an Ashkenazi synagogue completed in 1870. In use until 1940, this brick building in the Rundbogenstil style is now under reconstruction.

The Synagogue in Exeter is an Ashkenazi synagogue completed in 1764. The synagogue was rebuilt in 1835-36 and later in 1997-99. This brick building in the Greek Revival style still serves as a synagogue.

The Synagogue in Frankfurt am Main is an Ashkenazi synagogue completed in 1910 by architect Franz Roeckle. Since its construction, the synagogue has been restored in 1950 and between 1988 and 1994. This stone building still serves as a synagogue.

The synagogue in Fußgönheim was built in 1842. A Jewish community lived in Fußgönheim from 1684; a Jewish cemetery existed in the village from 1821 at the latest. The synagogue, built in 1842, burnt down on 19th August 1901 but was rebuilt the following year. Closed from 1928, the building was spared the pogroms of November 1938 and was used as a warehouse until then. Since 1997, the former synagogue building has been used by the German Potato Museum. Inside, some of the decorative paintings from the Jewish period have been preserved.

The Synagogue in Gaziantep dates from the 19th century. This stone synagogue is now abandoned.