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Origin and history

The Wintzenheim Synagogue, located at 1 rue de la Synagogue, is an emblematic building of the Alsatian Jewish heritage. Built in the second half of the 18th century, it was enlarged in 1850 and then in 1870 by the architect Constant Felder, adopting a neo-Roman style. Its architectural elements, such as the cast iron columns, the wooden staircases and the vault in basket handle, date from this period. The Baltard-style windows and grey sandstone tora testify to its stylistic evolution.

The synagogue is linked to a Jewish community attested since the fourteenth century. In the 18th century, a first synagogue was destroyed by order of the sovereign council of Alsace, before a new building was erected at the present site, visible on the cadastral plan of 1828. Wintzenheim then housed the seat of the Jewish Consistory of the Upper Rhine, established by Napoleon I, until his transfer to Colmar. The building, which was listed as a historic monument in 1995, was renovated the same year.

The interior reveals a U-shaped stand worn by cast iron columns, a guardrail painted in false marble, and a central vessel covered with a false vault. The synagogue, owned by a cult association, embodies both local history and the architectural transformations of Jewish places of worship in Alsace. Its architecture blends 18th-century heritage and 19th-century influences, reflecting the community's adaptations to its time.

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