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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The old synagogue of Traenheim is an atypical historical monument, located in the attic of a private house on 27 rue des Usines. Although the house dates from 1582 (as attests to an inscription above the staircase leading to the cellar), the synagogue was built much later, between 1722 and 1723, by the Jewish occupants of the premises. This attic-synagogue, unique in Alsace by its murals, combines ritual texts in Hebrew, floral motifs and figurative representations probably evoking the feast of Succot. The hands of the cohanim (priests) are also visible, a rare detail in the Alsatian Jewish iconography.

After the departure of the Jewish occupants, the walls were covered with lime, temporarily erasing these traces. It was only in the 20th century that the remains were rediscovered, revealing an exceptional decor for the region. The synagogue was first listed as a historical monument in 1996 (for its roof), and in 1998 was classified as a painted attic. A confusion exists with another synagogue built in 1842 in Traenheim, sold in 1923 and today destroyed, but unrelated to this 18th century site.

The building illustrates the adaptation of the Alsatian Jewish communities to the spatial and legal constraints of the Old Regime. The arrangement of a discreet place of worship in an attic reflects both the precariousness of the rights accorded to Jews at that time and their ingenuity to preserve their practices. The paintings, by their rarity, also bear witness to an unknown artistic tradition, mixing religious symbols and local influences. Today, this site offers a unique insight into the rural Jewish heritage in Alsace before the emancipation of 1791.

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