Old Synagogue — Jewish Life, Destruction and Survival
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Transcript
Essen’s Old Synagogue opened in 1913, a monumental building that reflected the confidence of a large, integrated Jewish community in a booming industrial city. During the November pogrom of 1938, its interior was devastated by fire. The building survived because its massive shell did not collapse.
After the war, the structure passed through different uses before becoming a centre for Jewish culture and history. Its presence complicates any industrial triumph story. Modern Essen was built by migrants, entrepreneurs and workers of many backgrounds, while National Socialism turned that diverse society toward exclusion, persecution and murder.