Old Synagogue, Museum and cultural center in Essen, Germany.
The Old Synagogue is a former Reform synagogue at Steeler Straße 29, built in Byzantine Revival style with Art Nouveau interior details. It measures 70 meters from front to back and 37 meters to the top of its copper dome. The main hall, with galleries and a large bima, held over 1,500 people. The interior was originally tiled deep blue with gold highlights.
Built between 1911 and 1913 by architect Edmund Körner, the synagogue served over 1,500 worshippers until it was damaged during Kristallnacht in 1938, though its concrete structure survived the arson attack.
Originally functioning as the religious and social center for Essen's Jewish community of 4,500 members, the building now operates as a House of Jewish Culture with exhibitions on Jewish traditions and heritage.
Located at Steeler Straße 29 in Essen's city center near the Town Hall, the building offers limited wheelchair accessibility and hosts cultural events, educational programs, and guided tours for visitors.
The Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute, which researches the cultural, religious and literary history of Jews in the German-speaking world, moved into the attached Rabbinerhaus in May 2011 and cooperates with the University of Düsseldorf. The rabbi's house had served Essen's surviving Jewish community as its centre from 1945 until 1959.
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