If you’re looking for traces of Jewish life at Hann. Münden, Germany: there are not so many as there is unfortunately no active community anymore. You can visit the old Jewish cemetery at the Vogelsangweg, the new one at Gimte or the memorial next to the old town hall.
Jewish life in the city began sometime in the 14th or 15th century. In 1520 the Jodenstrate is mentioned as a street near the Burgstraße. In 1796 the grown community bought a beautiful half-timbered house that is still standing today. Its street address was Hinterstraße 7 and today it is Hinter der Stadtmauer 23 – if you’re at the marketplace it is just around the corner.
The building was just as the community office and as a school. In 1834 a synagogue was added in the backyard. On the 8th of November, 1938 a group of men broke into the building, destroyed things and brought whatever they could carry to the river island Tanzwerder were they burned it. In 1939 the community was forced to sell their building, the synagogue was removed in 1973.
In between the house and the synagogue were used as a warehouse and there were plans to destroy both to build a new shop building. The half-timbered house could finally be preserved and during restoration world an access to a Mikwe – a Jewish bath that had been filled up in 1939 – was found. It was used not for hygienic reasons but to clean from ritual impurity. Jewish ritual baths have to have seven steps that lead into the water.
Today you can see the building at Hinter der Stadtmauer 23. if you want to enter it and see the Mikwe you’ll have to book a guided tour at the tourist office.
Jüdisches Gemeindehaus
Once ‘Hinterstraße 7‘, now ‘Hinter der Stadtmauer 23‘
34346 Hann. Münden
Germany
https://pogrome1938-niedersachsen.de
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