Rykestrasse Synagogue, Synagogue in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany.
Rykestrasse Synagogue is a synagogue in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, built in red brick in the Romanesque Revival style and completed in 1904. Inside, a large prayer hall features a women's gallery balcony and detailed ornamental work across the walls and ceiling.
The building opened in 1904 to serve the Jewish community of a then rapidly growing working-class district. The interior was heavily damaged during the November 1938 pogrom, and restoration work carried out over the following decades brought it back to use.
The Rykestrasse Synagogue is an active place of worship where the local Jewish community gathers for services and celebrations throughout the year. Visitors who attend a tour can see how a living religious space and a neighborhood landmark exist side by side.
The building is an active place of worship, so access to the interior is generally possible only during organized guided tours. It is worth checking in advance when tours are scheduled, as availability can vary.
Because the synagogue stood in a rear courtyard behind a narrow front building on Rykestraße, the 1938 pogrom did not destroy it: flames could not be allowed to reach the neighbouring apartment blocks. From May 1940 the confiscated building was used by the army as a depot and horse stable. The first couple after the Holocaust were married there on 29 July 1945 by Rabbi Martin Riesenburger.
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