// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Bergische Synagogue wall say? It had a grave concern.
| Bergische Synagoge | |
|---|---|
 Bergische Synagoge in 2007 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism |
| Location | |
| Location | Gemarker Straße Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Goedeking + Schmidt |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Groundbreaking | 9 November 1998 |
The Bergische Synagoge is a synagogue in the Barmen district of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the place of worship of the Jewish community of Wuppertal and was inaugurated on 8 December 2002, 64 years after the destruction of the former Barmen synagogue during the November pogroms of 1938. It is located near the Gemarker Church on Gemarker Straße.[1]
History
[edit]Jewish community after 1945
[edit]The former Barmen synagogue, completed in 1897 to designs by Ludwig Levy, was destroyed during the November pogroms of 1938. In 1945, after the Second World War, about 145 Jewish survivors returned to Wuppertal and re-established a community. As the infrastructure of Jewish life had been destroyed, services were initially held in the former Jewish retirement home on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße. This arrangement remained in use for decades.[1]
By the end of the 1980s, the community had declined to about 65 members. During the 1990s, its membership increased to about 2,000 as a result of the arrival of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, creating a need for a larger synagogue.[1][2]
Construction
[edit]In 1996, former Wuppertal mayor Ursula Kraus initiated the establishment of the Freundeskreis Neue Synagoge e.V., an association supporting the construction of a new synagogue in Barmen. The search for a suitable site led to a plot next to the Gemarker Church that belonged to the Protestant community. The Evangelical Church in the Rhineland made the property available for the synagogue. The decision to use the site was made as the Jewish community was growing and there was no suitable vacant land elsewhere.[1][2]
The first symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place on 9 November 1998, the 60th anniversary of the November pogroms. The foundation stone was laid in October 2001, and the synagogue was inaugurated on 8 December 2002.[1]
The construction cost approximately €4.5 million. The project received support from the cities of Wuppertal, Solingen, Remscheid and Velbert, as well as from the German state and the Jewish community.[2]
The synagogue was designed by the Wuppertal architects Goedeking + Schmidt. The building consists of two cubic wings surrounding a round prayer hall. The hall is oriented towards Jerusalem, with the Torah ark and the bimah forming the liturgical centre. Nine tall, narrow windows on the street-facing side represent the nine lights of a Hanukkiah. A glass structure above the prayer hall forms a Star of David in the roof structure.[3]
The synagogue can accommodate approximately 300 people. Above the entrance is a Hebrew inscription from Isaiah 56:7: ביתי בית תפלה יקרא לכל העמים, translated as "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples". The inscription also appeared above the entrance to the former Barmen synagogue.[1][3]
The synagogue's location beside the Gemarker Church also has historical significance. The church is associated with the Barmen Declaration, adopted there in 1934 by representatives of the Confessing Church in opposition to the influence of National Socialism on German Protestantism. The construction of the synagogue on land provided by the Protestant community has been examined in the context of Jewish-Christian relations in post-war Wuppertal.[1][2]
The inauguration was attended by German President Johannes Rau, Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Paul Spiegel, chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. It was the first time that an Israeli president had attended the inauguration of a synagogue in Germany.[4]
Attacks
[edit]The synagogue has been the target of two attempted arson attacks.
On 29 July 2014, three men threw several incendiary devices at the synagogue. No one was injured and initial police investigations found no damage to the building. An 18-year-old suspect was arrested, while police searched for two other suspects.[5][6] The three men were later convicted of attempted aggravated arson. During the trial, the defendants said they had intended to draw attention to the Gaza–Israel conflict.[7]
On 17 September 2026, a second attempted arson attack took place. According to police, a 37-year-old man spread flammable liquid on the steps of a side entrance and set it alight. The fire was quickly extinguished and caused only minor damage, and injuries were reported. The suspect, an Afghan citizen, was arrested near the scene and later placed in pre-trial detention on suspicion of attempted aggravated arson. A search of his apartment found several knives and a machete. Prosecutors also said that he had made comments indicating an antisemitic motive.[8][9]
Gallery
[edit]
View of the synagogue
View from Gemarker Straße
Another view from Gemarker Straße
Façade on Paul-Humburg-Straße
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Documentation on the construction of the New Bergisch Synagogue (1996–2002)". Bergische University Wuppertal. 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Doku zum Bau der neuen Bergischen Synagoge Wuppertal". Wuppertaler Rundschau. 27 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Neue Synagoge Wuppertal". Baukunst NRW. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- ↑ "Zwei Torarollen für die Bergische Synagoge". City of Wuppertal. 8 December 2002.
- ↑ "Synagogue in Germany attacked". Associated Press. 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "Assailants attack synagogue in western Germany". The Jerusalem Post. Reuters. 29 July 2014.
- ↑ "Anschlag auf Wuppertaler Synagoge: Der Alkohol soll Schuld sein". die tageszeitung. 14 January 2015.
- ↑ "Anschlag auf Synagoge Wuppertal: Mann warf Beutel mit brennbarer Flüssigkeit gegen Gotteshaus". Tagesschau. 17 September 2026.
- ↑ "German police probe arson attack on Wuppertal synagogue". Deutsche Welle. 18 September 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Documentation on the construction of the New Bergische Synagogue (1996–2002) – Bergische University Wuppertal
- Neue Synagoge Wuppertal – Baukunst NRW