Rheintor/Grafenstraße in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany — Central Europe
Erinnerungsort Liberale Synagoge
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Liberal Synagogue Memorial Site
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 30, 2025
1. Liberal Synagogue Memorial Site text
erbaute Synagoge der Jüdischen Gemeinde Darmstadt
Sie wurde am 9. November 1938
von frevelnder Hand niedergebrannt und zerstört.
Dieses Denkmal dient der mahnenden Erinnerung.
Erected 1967 by Stadt Darmstadt.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Synagogues, and the The Holocaust series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is November 9, 1938.
Location. 49° 52.429′ N, 8° 38.743′ E. Memorial is in Darmstadt, Hessen (Hesse). It is in Rheintor/Grafenstraße. It is on Bleichstraße, on the left when traveling east. It can be reached from Bleichstraße. The memorial is on the grounds of the Klinikum Darmstadt medical complex. There is a walkway leading from the north side of Bleichstrasse into the complex. There memorial is roughly 12-15 meters into the complex. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: Bleichstraße 19, Darmstadt HE 64283, Germany. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Also see . . . Liberale Synagoge (Darmstadt) (Wikipedia, in German). Excerpt (in translation):
The synagogue was built according to plans by the city architect Eduard Wilhelm Köhler (1822–1882). The construction work was carried out under the direction of his assistant Stephan Braden, who became his successor as city architect in 1880. The neo-Romanesque building, with elements of orientalizing architecture, was a representative and imposing religious building. The four corner towers crowned with domes were visible from afar. The outer surfaces were clad in red sandstone. The roofs of the nave were covered with slate and the corner towers with zinc.(Submitted on February 18, 2025.)
The interior was dividedinto three naves by two rows of columns that supported the galleries on pointed arches. The Almemor was on the east wall of the synagogue. This was also an expression and distinguishing feature of liberal Judaism. The rabbi's lectern and the Torah were also located there. The organ underlines the liberal orientation of the Jewish community. The musical instrument would be unthinkable in an Orthodox community.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 30, 20252. Liberal Synagogue Memorial
During the November pogrom of 1938, the synagogue fell victim to an arson attack by SA men.
Additional keywords. Kristalnacht
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 30, 2025
3. Liberal Synagogue Memorial Site
Behind the memorial menorah is a line of rubble - remains of the synagogue.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 30, 2025
4. Synagogue remains (outdoors)
See Photo 6 for more information on the preserved remnants of the synagogue.
courtesy William A. Rosenthall Judaica Collection, College of Charleston Libraries, circa 1920
5. Liberal Synagogue in Darmstadt
“Black-and-white photographic Rosh Hashanah postcard of the exterior and interior of the Liberal Synagogue in Darmstadt”
Photographed by Stefan Bellini (via Wikimedia Commons under CC 1.0 license), May 8, 2013
6. Preserved remains of the synagogue
“In October 2003, the remains of the Liberal Synagogue were discovered during excavation work for a new building in the municipal hospital. On April 13, 2004, the Darmstadt City Council decided to erect a memorial at the site and to integrate it into the concept of the planned new building. The foundations found (they correspond to about one sixth of the original floor space of the synagogue) were uncovered, cleaned and preserved. A column-free exposed concrete shell by the architect Jörg Friedrich surrounds the 15 by 15 meter memorial, which can be accessed via walkways and bridges suspended from the ceiling. The finds are explained using the artistic and didactic concept by Ritula Fränkel and Nicolas Morris. On November 9, 2009, the Liberal Synagogue memorial site was opened.” - Wikipedia, (in translation)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 119 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 18, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
