Judengasse, Medieval Jewish quarter street in Trier, Germany

Judengasse runs from the Hauptmarkt through the Judenpforte gate, a structure built in 1219 and rebuilt in 1607–1608, with Renaissance half-timbered houses above it. The lane bends north halfway along and meets Stockstraße. House No. 2 has a cellar from 1235 and a facade from 1311.

The quarter was first documented in 1066 and by the first half of the 14th century held about 60 houses with a synagogue and community buildings. Persecution and expulsion in 1349 ended Jewish life in the Judengasse, and the street lost its role as the centre of Jewish Trier.

The narrow street layout and building placement show how the Jewish community once organized their living and working spaces in this confined area. Walking through reveals the practical closeness of homes and workshops that shaped daily life in the medieval period.

The alley is easily reached on foot from the main square by navigating through the surrounding old town streets. It works best to walk slowly through the entire length and spend time noticing the building details and the narrow spaces between structures.

House Judengasse 2 has a cellar from 1235 and a surviving facade from 1311, with the ground floor rebuilt in 1502 and the interior gutted in the 1980s. It ranks among the oldest houses in present-day Germany with documented Jewish residents.