Welcome | Synagoge Laufersweiler

Welcome to the website of the "Förderkreis Synagoge Laufersweiler e.V."

Welcome to the website of the „Förderkreis Synagoge Laufersweiler e.V.“ The former synagogue of the local Jewish community is the only synagogue in the district of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, that can be recognized as a Jewish prayer house. The synagogue has had a long and changeable history: After there had already existed at least two synagogues in the 19th century, the Jewish community built the new one in 1911. During the days of the pogrom (“Kristallnacht” called by the Nazis) in 1938 it was vandalized. All the ritual objects were desecrated, burned or destroyed, but the building remained intact in its structure because of the fire danger to the neighbouring houses. After many reconstruction works and the installation of a between ceiling, the building was used as a laundry, a communal fridge, school room and a meeting place. Following many discussions and efforts of the civil community, the synagogue was listed in 1985 as a historic monument according to the Hague Convention of 1954. It has been reconstructed and renovated twice after that. When in 2012 the room on the first floor became empty, the Förderkreis established a “Study- and Meeting Centre for the Land Jewry”. On the basis of written documents and oral history its aim is to provide a place for historical research, remembrance, education and tolerance.

Laufersweiler is now the place for an unparalleled ensemble consisting of the synagogue, a work of art "Lived Lives - Stolen Lives", a Path of Remembrance, a Jewish Poetry Path, the Jewish Cemetery, former houses and the school for Jewish children. The name of the centre "Forst-Mayer" honours the great families, that had lived in the Rhine-Mosel-Hunsrück Region for centuries as farmers and traders and that have contributed a lot to the remembrance of Jewish rural life during the last decades.

Note:
If you wish to have parts of the website translated, please contact the Förderkreis by mail under "Kontakt".
Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them. You can see the caption, if you make the cursor hover above the photo.

Restaurants, B&B, Hotels: https://www.kirchberg-hunsrueck.de

Mail: touristik@kirchberg-hunsrueck.de

Opening hours:

Until now we haven´t been able to offer fixed opening hours. But if you want to visit the centre you can contact the following persons. Then even a short-term visit is possible.

Christof Pies	cpies@rz-online.de	Tel: 06762/5269
Hans-Werner Johann	h.-w.johann@kirchberg-hunsrueck.de
Gisela und Hermann Wagner	giselawagner@vodafone.de	Tel: 06543/3420

We would like to thank the sponsors, that made the establishment of the centre possible or support the work of the centre:

the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD):

Here Europe is investing in rural areas

as part of the Rhineland-Palatinate development program "Agriculture, Environmental Measures, Rural Development" (PAUL), co-financed by the federal and state governments as part of the joint task "Improvement of the agricultural structure and coastal protection" (GAK)

Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture, Food, Viticulture and Forestry Rhineland-Palatinate

The Förderkreis Synagogue Laufersweiler e.V. would like to warmly thank other sponsors who support the general work of the sponsorship group or who made the establishment of the “Forst-Mayer Study and Meeting Center for Rural Judaism” possible: