Ehemalige Synagoge Kippenheim

About the museum

Kippenheim's Jewish community had its house of worship built between 1850 and 1852 to plans by Georg Jakob Schneider, as the previous building had become too small. With its twin-tower facade, round-arched windows and red sandstone ornamentation, the building is a striking example of Neo-Romanesque synagogue architecture in the countryside.

During the November Pogrom of 1938, Nazis ransacked the interior; community members who were present were abused and deported to the Dachau concentration camp. The building was not set on fire because of the closely adjoining houses. After the war it served for decades as a cooperative's warehouse.

In 1983 the municipality of Kippenheim acquired the building and first had the exterior restored. The Förderverein Ehemalige Synagoge Kippenheim, a friends' association founded in 1996, oversaw the restoration of the interior through 2003 and has run the memorial, learning and meeting center ever since. In 2010 a permanent exhibition on the history and culture of the Jews in the Ortenau region was added in the former women's galleries. On the first floor, a timeline explains the building's history, and a ritual bath survives in the basement. Concerts, readings, talks with contemporary witnesses and educational programs for schools round out the program.

Highlights

• Neo-Romanesque twin-tower facade from 1852
• Exhibition on rural Jewish life in the Ortenau in the women's galleries
• Mizrach wall
• Preserved ritual bath (mikveh) in the basement
• Guided tours to Jewish sites in the Ortenau

Permanent exhibitions

• Geschichte und Kultur der Ortenauer Juden – Opened in 2010 in the former women's galleries, the exhibition explores the religion, everyday life and persecution of the rural Jewish communities in the Ortenau.
• Zeitstrahl zur Synagogengeschichte – On the first floor, a timeline traces the building's history from its construction through its devastation to its restoration.

Operated by

Förderverein Ehemalige Synagoge Kippenheim e. V.

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission during opening hours; tour prices according to the Baden-Württemberg memorial sites portal.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kids

Memorial and learning site; tours and programs mainly for school classes and youth groups.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit