Beginning of the Jewish community 1720 (≈ 1720)
Six Jewish families settled in Fossemagne.
1772
Population growth
Population growth 1772 (≈ 1772)
Twenty-two Jewish families registered in the village.
1864-1865
Construction of the synagogue
Construction of the synagogue 1864-1865 (≈ 1865)
Replaces an ancient place of worship.
8 juin 1865
Inauguration
Inauguration 8 juin 1865 (≈ 1865)
Official opening of building.
1880
School extension
School extension 1880 (≈ 1880)
Addition of an adjacent Jewish building.
1935
Disappearance from minian
Disappearance from minian 1935 (≈ 1935)
End of regular offices.
1940
Closure and looting
Closure and looting 1940 (≈ 1940)
Under German occupation.
21 décembre 1984
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 21 décembre 1984 (≈ 1984)
Protection of facades and roofs.
2008
Purchase by municipality
Purchase by municipality 2008 (≈ 2008)
Project to transform into a museum.
2011
Commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque 2011 (≈ 2011)
Placed on the north facade.
2022
Heritage Lotto Selection
Heritage Lotto Selection 2022 (≈ 2022)
For his restoration.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facades and roofs (Case C 193): inscription by order of 21 December 1984
Key figures
André Frossard - Journalist and writer
Mentionne Foussemagne in *God exists, I met him* (1969).
RATTE - Owner
Head of construction (source Mérimée).
Origin and history
The synagogue of Fossemagne, located in the Territory of Belfort in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, was built between 1864 and 1865 to replace a previous place of worship that had become too small and delabrate. Inaugurated on June 8, 1865, it is distinguished by its four-axis architecture, its arched windows spread over two floors, and its three entrances to the gable. A gallery was reserved for women, in accordance with the Jewish traditions of the time. In 1880, a Jewish school building was attached to the synagogue, reflecting the importance of the local community.
The Jewish community of Fossemagne was established in the 18th century, from six families in 1720 to twenty-two in 1772. These families, mostly cattle merchants, butchers or peddlers, lived together in a dedicated neighborhood. The particularity of Fossemagne lies in being the only French commune with a synagogue but no church, a fact emphasized by the writer André Frossard in 1969. However, the rural exodus and migration to cities weakened the community, making it impossible to meet a minian (about ten men) after 1935.
During World War II, the synagogue was closed and looted in 1940 by German forces. Sold after the war to a miller, it served as a warehouse for decades before being bought by the municipality in 2008. Since then, the building, classified as a historical monument in 1984 for its facades and roof, has been home to a museum project. In 2011, a commemorative plaque was placed on its northern façade, and in 2022 the synagogue was selected by the Heritage Lotto for restoration.
The architecture of the synagogue, marked by its neoclassical elements and its symmetry, bears witness to the integration of Jewish communities into the French rural landscape in the 19th century. Its history also reflects the demographic and political upheavals that affected the small communes, particularly under German occupation. Today it is a rare heritage, symbol of Jewish memory in Franche-Comté.
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