Sulzburg Synagogue, 29/01/2012: Yesterday we traveled to Sulzburg, a suburb of Freiburg, to learn about the history of Jewish life in Germany. In Germany, just like most other areas of Europe, Jews were discriminated against and excluded from normal life. Here, Jews were not allowed to live in cities, but were instead forced to live in select towns at the edge of the region. Sulzburg had a decently-sized Jewish community and built a synagogue in the 19th century, when Jews were emancipated in Germany. The synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis but was restored in 1979. For me, it felt extremely odd to be in this “new” old synagogue, especially because it was built in the style of the churches at the time. The synagogue is extremely ornate and formal; not the kind of synagogue I’m used to. It also felt strange because while the synagogue has been rebuilt, there is no longer a Jewish community in Sulzburg. To me, it felt empty in the same way that the Jewish museum in Dublin felt empty; it is a lonely place that can no longer serve its intended purpose.
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Sulzburg Synagogue, 29/01/2012:

Yesterday we traveled to Sulzburg, a suburb of Freiburg, to learn about the history of Jewish life in Germany.

In Germany, just like most other areas of Europe, Jews were discriminated against and excluded from normal life. Here, Jews were not allowed to live in cities, but were instead forced to live in select towns at the edge of the region.

Sulzburg had a decently-sized Jewish community and built a synagogue in the 19th century, when Jews were emancipated in Germany. The synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis but was restored in 1979.

For me, it felt extremely odd to be in this “new” old synagogue, especially because it was built in the style of the churches at the time. The synagogue is extremely ornate and formal; not the kind of synagogue I’m used to.

It also felt strange because while the synagogue has been rebuilt, there is no longer a Jewish community in Sulzburg. To me, it felt empty in the same way that the Jewish museum in Dublin felt empty; it is a lonely place that can no longer serve its intended purpose.