Alte Synagoge Erfurt

The Alte Synagoge in Erfurt's old town is the oldest fully preserved synagogue in Europe, built around 1094 — predating the First Crusade. Its original identity was lost for centuries: following the Erfurt pogrom of 1349, the Romanesque building served successively as a warehouse, dance hall, and pub before scholars rediscovered and confirmed its Jewish origins in the late 20th century. The museum's centrepiece is the Erfurt Treasure, unearthed during construction work in 1998 — a hoard of medieval silverware, jewellery, and a remarkably intact 14th-century Jewish wedding ring, most likely concealed by a Jewish family before the pogrom. Today the building's exposed vaulted stonework frames a permanent exhibition on medieval Jewish life in Erfurt. Open Tue–Sun, 10:00–18:00; admission fee applies; fully wheelchair accessible.