Medieval Mikveh, Old Jewish bath in Erfurt
The Medieval Mikveh is an underground stone chamber connected to the nearby Gera River through an ingenious water supply system that still functions today. The structure features a deep basin carved into bedrock, designed to hold water from the natural spring beneath it.
Construction dates to the 13th century, and records confirm the Jewish community's formal status by documenting tax payments to church and city authorities. This written evidence demonstrates an organized and established Jewish presence in medieval Erfurt.
This ritual bath was central to the daily religious life of the medieval Jewish community and represents how faith shaped everyday practices. The structure shows the importance of purification customs in medieval Jewish tradition.
The bath can be viewed through an observation window at the protective shelter above the site, allowing visitors to look down into the medieval structure. The Erfurt Tourism Board offers guided tours that provide context and details about what you are seeing below ground.
The water supply system in the basin still works today, though the water level is noticeably lower than in medieval times due to a 19th-century flood channel that altered the natural hydrology. This change reveals how urban development has left its mark even on hidden underground spaces.
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