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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Schirmeck Synagogue, built between 1906 and 1909, is the work of the Strasbourg architects David Falk and Émile Wolf. It was erected thanks to a grant of 7,000 marks granted by Emperor William II, Alsace being then under German domination. The land was offered by Camille Simonin, a local figure and future member of parliament, from a pioneering Jewish family in the region.

The Jewish community of Schirmeck developed from 1860, with the arrival of families from Piedmont des Vosges, especially the Simonin. A Jewish cemetery was set up on Rue du Douar in 1898, while a first place of worship, considered inconvenient, preceded the current synagogue. It was inaugurated in July 1909, marking a turning point for the 78 faithful of the time.

The building, centered and inspired by the monumental 19th century synagogues, is distinguished by its thermal bays, its New Byzantine Holy Arch, and a stand reserved for women, located exceptionally on the ground floor. A harmonium, rare in Orthodox synagogues, attested to a liberal practice. The synagogue was sacked during World War II and restored in 1946 under the direction of Fernand Bloch.

Ranked a historic monument in 1999, the synagogue benefited from major restorations between 2007 and 2014, saving its structure and stained glass windows. Disused since 1978, it now welcomes the children of the Henry Lévy vacation colony. Its original architecture and furnishings, preserved, make it a unique testimony to the Alsatian Jewish heritage.

The community, initially attached to the Rabbinate of Epinal and then to that of Mutzig, counted up to 88 members in 1882. Its decline began after 1945, reflecting the demographic and historical upheavals of the region. The Jewish cemetery, desecrated in 1905 and 1907, and the 48 graves that it houses also recall this turbulent history.

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