Ehemaliges Jüdisches Gemeindezentrum Issum
Preserved village synagogue on the Lower Rhine with a mikveh, former schoolhouse and an exhibition on the history of Jews in Issum and the surrounding area.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The oldest trace of a prayer house of Issum's Jews dates to 1791. The Jewish community bought the building that survives today in 1855; it probably already served as a prayer room before that. After a conversion or extension, it was solemnly consecrated as a larger synagogue in 1865. Around 1900 it passed to the Synagogengemeinde Geldern. Because the community in Issum kept shrinking, it sold the house in 1935.
From then on it was used only for secular purposes. This is probably why it survived the Pogrom Night of 1938, perhaps also thanks to its hidden location in the back courtyard of a densely built residential area. Thus the only surviving village synagogue on the lower Lower Rhine was preserved in Issum. In 1987 the municipality of Issum acquired the entire complex and set up the synagogue hall as a memorial to the region's former Jewish citizens; efforts were made to restore its original condition.
The attached schoolhouse, where a small Jewish elementary school taught from 1869 to 1879, is also part of the ensemble. Today it houses documentation on the history of Jews in the town and the surrounding area, as well as Jewish ritual and everyday objects. The mikveh, the ritual bath in the cellar, was preserved in its found condition. A volunteer working group offers guided tours.
Highlights
- Only surviving village synagogue on the lower Lower Rhine
- Mikveh in the schoolhouse cellar, in its original condition
- Documentation on Jewish history in Issum
- Jewish ritual and everyday objects
- Guided tours and walks to the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) and the cemetery
Permanent exhibition
- Geschichte der Juden in Issum und Umgebung – In the schoolhouse, an exhibition documents Jewish life on site and displays ritual and everyday objects.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Gemeinde Issum (Arbeitskreis Jüdisches Bethaus)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission and guided tours are free of charge.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The meeting point for guided tours is the former synagogue, Kapellener Straße 30a.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Groups of 3 to 25 people (in exceptional cases up to 40) can book guided tours. For school classes from the third school year, there are three combinable offers: the synagogue with the schoolhouse and mikveh, a walk to the ten Stolpersteine in town, and a walk through the Jewish cemetery. Inquiries to the working group Jüdisches Bethaus (synagoge@issum.de). |
