Jewish Cemetery and Synagogue Koblenz
Schwerzstraße 14, 56073 Koblenz-Rauental
Jewish life was concentrated above all in the area of today's Florin Market and Balduin Street, but nothing of these streets remained after the destruction of the last war. In 1848 the community bought the Bürresheimer Hof and transformed it into a synagogue, school and community hall. On November 9, 1938, the synagogue was destroyed by the National Socialists, as was almost all in Germany, and almost all members of the congregation were murdered in the camps. In 1946 a new congregation was fortunately founded, which today again comprises 871 members, also thanks to the influx from Eastern European states. The present synagogue is the former mortuary built in 1925 next to the Jewish cemetery from the 14th century. It was a provisional prayer room and school before the war and was used as an improvised prayer hall by the French occupation in 1947. In 1950/51 Helmut Goldschmidt converted the hall into a new synagogue. Today the Jewish community is very active again and offers regular church services and various activities and events for its members.