Old Synagogue (Neuss)

Already in the 12th century there was a small Jewish community and a synagogue in Neuss.^[1] The Jews lived on the “Judensteg” near the later Hessentor and later in the “Glockhammer”; the synagogue was also located there.^[2] The Jews were expelled from the city in the year 1463. During the French period and the religious freedom that came with it, a Jewish community formed again, which initially set up its prayer room in a private house on Neustraße.^[2]

The new synagogue building designed by building councillor Friedrich Weise (1801–1874) was ceremonially inaugurated on 29 March 1867.^[1][2] Architecturally, the building was oriented toward an Oriental style with a light reddish stone façade, four onion towers, and a golden Star of David. Inside, there was no matroneum; in the seating arrangement, men and women were separated by the central aisle.^[1] In 1890 the Jewish community of Neuss reached its highest number of 300 members.^[1]

The synagogue was burned down during Kristallnacht on the night of 9 to 10 November 1938 and was then completely destroyed in 1941.^[1][3] Many of the Jews of Neuss at that time came from Hülchrath; they had believed they would be safer in Neuss.^[4] In August 1942, according to official statistics, Neuss was “judenfrei.”^[5] A memorial in the form of a 30-ton stone, worked by the sculptor Ulrich Rückriem, has commemorated the building since 1995.

On 19 September 2021, a New Synagogue for about 600 people of Jewish faith from the region was opened and inaugurated in Neuss.^[6]