Until the middle of the
19th century the Jewish municipality in Porz-Zündorf
had no synagogue, only a room for prayers. It had
been furnished in 1713 in the house of Andreas
Salomon and was used till 1865. After this room was
not sufficient for the visitors of the services any
more, they asked the mayor of Wahn, Ottersbach, in
1878 to finance a new building because that was not
possible for them using cult deliveries only.
In 1880 it the
construction of the synagogue in the Haupstr. 68
began. Today the building has the house number 158.
The massive brick stone construction was finished in
1882 and initiated in August the same year by the
rabbi Plato.
In a contemporary
report on the inaugural ceremonies one says: "Friday
and Saturday, August 19th, Zündorf celebrated a
party which was unforgetable for all who attended it,
the inauguration of a new synagogue. Friday
afternoon the celebrations began according to the
program planned. After they prayed the mincha-prayer
in the old synagogue and teacher Mr. Wertheim in
representation of rabbi Plato from Cologne sincerely
spoke a few words, the imposing train started moving
through the streets decorated. When they reached the
new synagogue the mayor handed over its key, hoping
that the church would become a site of peace." (1)
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The photo shows the back side of the brick stone
building. Two - possibly round arched- windows with
horizontal lintel are recognizable. Two small okuli
are to the right and left ar the height of the
window arches. Besides the neighbouring house
another round arch-firm is to be recognized: "The
building was behind a half-timbered house which did
not belong to the Jewish municipality, and was only
to be reached by a narrow way. To the side situated
to the court was a two-winged door with
highly-arched upper light as well as an anteroom."
(2)
About the arrangement
of the interior of the synagogue nothing is
delivered.
On the 2/9/1938 the
synagogue was sold to Peter Scheidt against the will
of the Jewish population who submitted a building
application to the rebuilding in a appartment
buildung nine days later. After the police
preliminary examination was sucessful on 2/25/1938
the mayor also agreed to the project and ignored the
contradicting demands of the Jewish citizens. After
the approval from the head of the district
administrator of the Prussian state the building
permit was issued on 3/17/1938 and the only 56
year-old synagogue was altered to a appartment.
A commemorative plaque was not put up in the former
synagogue.
Quellen: Die Synagoge in Porz-Zündorf
General map:
Synagogue
municipality on the property of todays NRW until 1945
The building of the former synagogue in
Zündorf
Site file
A30b 0 350
Files
concerning execution of the construction on property of Porz
670/229
[StA Porz]
2/18/1938: Building application
Alteration of the synagogue into a
appartment building [StA Porz]
<Page 1>
<Page 2>
3/8/1938: Building authority of Porz
Declaration
of consent by the neighbor [StA Porz]
3/10/1938: Application to the building
department of Prussia
Freeing from the conditions of
the building code [StA Porz]
<Page 1>
<Page 2>
<Page 3>
3/17/1938: County Rhein-Berg
Freeing
from the conditions of the building code [StA Porz]
3/17/1938: County Rhein-Berg
Building permit for Peter Scheid [StA
Porz]
<Page 1>
<Page 2>
Secondary literature
(1) Feuer an Dein
Heiligtum gelegt. Zerstörte Synagogen 1938, NRW,
Bochum 1999 Kamp-Verlag, ISBN 3-89709-200-X
(2) Ebd.
