On the map of European Jewish Heritage, Erfurt is now
written in capitals.* Becoming World Heritage.

The Old Synagogue
The Mikveh
3 The »Stone House«
1

2

Jewish-Medieval Heritage Erfurt.
Becoming World Heritage.

* Johannes heil,
Rector, Hochschule
für Jüdische Studien(University for Jewish
Studies), Heidelberg,
2011comPonenTs of
The aPPlicaTion

The Process of Becoming a World heriTage siTe

City of Erfurt

The Old Synagogue
With its oldest parts dating from the 11th century,
the Old Synagogue is one of the oldest, largest andbest preserved medieval synagogues in central
Europe. In 2009, an extraordinary museum wasinstalled here and it has since become a place
where original objects from Erfurt’s medieval
Jewish community are accessible to the public.

sTeP

1

preliminary steps /formulation of OUVFree State ofThuringia

application forinclusion in theGerman Tentative
List

2009

German Tentative List
(determined order, up to 2 sites per year)

2012

The Mikveh

Page 6

coordination,agreement

supplemental
claim(s)Page 4

Together with synagogue and cemetery, the ritualbath is another integral part of a Jewish community. It is not only, but mainly used by women,
which is why it is also called »women‘s bath«.

KMK

City of Erfurt

sTeP

2

aPPlicaTion

Free State ofThuringia
aPPlicaTion



2014

KMK
aPPlicaTion



Foreign OfficeWorld Heritage
CentreInscription

aPPlicaTion

 World Heritage
Committee

Consultation
with ICOMOS

No Inscription
Referral / Deferral

Nomination
Dossier

Recommendation

Evaluation

ICOMOSThe »Stone House«
In a complex of buildings on Benediktsplatz 1 in
the historic city centre, a medieval stone building
is located. In the Middle Ages, it was verifiably inJewish possession. Exceptionally numerous essential structures from its time of construction around1250 have been preserved.
Page 7

2021

KmK

oUV
Tentative list

icomosStanding Conference of the Ministers of Education andCultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of
Germany
Outstanding Universal Value (core justification of why asite deserves World Heritage status)
List of proposed World Heritage sites a State Party plans
to submit over the forthcoming years; compulsory firststep for inclusion on the World Heritage List is to be listed
on a national Tentative List
International Council on Monuments and Sites

2022

complementary
objects

The Gravestones
The cemetery of the medieval Jewish communityof Erfurt and its affiliated communities was
already destroyed in the 15th century. However, individual gravestones were preserved. In the recent
past, numerous stones could be recovered duringbuilding works all over the old town.
Page 8The Erfurt Treasure
The so-called Erfurt Treasure is exhibited in the cellarof the Old Synagogue. It was most likely buried before the pogrom of 1349 – a trove unique in size andcomposition.
Page 9The Hebrew Manuscripts
Originating from Erfurt, the Hebrew Manuscripts
of Berlin’s State Library – Prussian Cultural
Heritage, bear witness to the significance of themedieval Jewish community. Fifteen manuscripts
dating from the 12th to 14th century have beenpreserved; there is no larger known collection of
one single community.
Page 10The Bronze Lamp
Since medieval times, bronze hanging lamps withstar-shaped lamp bowls are known from Jewish
contexts. For instance, such lamps are often depicted
in medieval manuscripts, in most cases hanging
from living room ceilings and used as sabbath lamps.
Page 11The Erfurt Jewry OathThe Erfurt Jewry Oath is the earliest record inGerman language defining the Jews‘ legal status
in the city. It was issued by Archbishop Konradof Mainz as ruler of the town at the end of the
12th century.
Page 11

Becoming World Heritage.

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Becoming World Heritage.

Since early times, Erfurt was the central Thuringian cityin economic, political and cultural terms.

becoming world heritage

erfurt in the middle ages

the jewish community in the middle ages

In the largely intact medieval Old Town of Erfurt,
one-of-a-kind constructional testimonies to theimportant Jewish community from the late 11th tothe mid-14th century have been preserved. This
edificial evidence is complemented and further enhanced by a globally unique abundance of original
objects. Together, they offer valuable clues to Jewish
community and everyday life as well as to the coexistence of Jews and Christians in medieval cities –as profoundly and documented by such a large
number of authentic evidence as at no other knownsite.
For this reason, the Thuringian State Capital of
Erfurt has decided to seek inclusion on the list of
UnESCO World Heritage for its medieval Jewish
Heritage.
Principally, only buildings are awarded »UnESCO
World Cultural Heritage«. That is why objects suchas the Hebrew Manuscripts are not part of the application. As historical sources, however, they doround off our knowledge on ashkenazic, i. e. central
European, Jewry in the Middle Ages. As such, they
belong to the Erfurt Jewish-medieval Heritage.
In 2014, the site »Old Synagogue and Mikveh in
Erfurt – Testimonies of Everyday Life, Religion andTown History between Change and Continuity« wasadded to the German Tentative List for future World
Heritage Sites. This means that the application forinclusion in the World Heritage List may be officiallysubmitted to UnESCO in a few years. Until then,the City of Erfurt continues to actively research,communicate and campaign for its potential World
Heritage. It issues publications, organises events
such as the »Arain!« lecture series, and is counselled
by a high-ranking Advisory Board.

Since early times Erfurt had been the central
Thuringian city in economic, political and cultural
terms. In Carolingian times Erfurt became theregional commercial centre. Conveniently locatedat the crossroads of essential trading routes, thecity developed into central Germany’s trading hub
during the course of the Middle Ages. Apart fromtrading cloth and grain, the city mainly owed its
prosperity to the trade in woad. Erfurt merchants
maintained trading relations throughout the Empire,e. g. with Aachen, Lübeck and Flanders. Alreadyat the beginning of the 12th century, Erfurt can be
accounted as a city, due to its size and population
density, its surrounding wall and a description of its
inhabitants as cives.
From the early 11th century, Erfurt was under thesecular rule of the Archbishop of Mainz. Besides, an
independent city council was established from 1250
onwards, striving for greater autonomy ever since
its inauguration. As a branch of the Mainz bishops
and home to numerous monasteries, Erfurt can also
be referred to as clerical and spiritual centre of theregion. Even before the founding of the University(1392), schools and monasterial study centres shaped
the city’s intellectual life.

The medieval Jewish community in Erfurt possessed
a synagogue, a mikveh and a cemetery, and wasthus a so-called kehillah, a fully equipped community,
to whom other surrounding settlements could belong
as affiliates (jischuwim). Within the regional intraJewish organization, Erfurt played a superior role to wards the nearby Jewish settlements.
The members of the jischuwim, which included, forexample, the towns of Arnstadt, Stadtilm, Weimar,
Eisenach and Gotha, had to frequent the kehillah’s
institutions for specific services. Above all, thisapplied to burials, as a cemetery was not existent inall settlements.
The Jewish community in Erfurt was integrated into
urban life. Their residential area was located in thequarter between City Hall, Merchants’ Bridge andSt. Michael’s Church, at the very city centre. Indeed,
it was predominantly Jews settling in this area close
to each other and their community institutions.
Christians, however, evidentially settled in the same
area, too; it was thus no concluded residential area
or ghetto as it came into common use not until the
15th century. Jewish dwellings did not differ fromtheir Christian neighbours’ homes. Occasionally, Jews
rented their houses from Christians or vice versa.
As money lenders, the wealthy Jews were fundamentally important to local trade. As elsewhere, themembers of the Erfurt community probably lived

2

on money trade in the first instance and were commercially well linked. In the 13th and 14th century,
money transactions by local Jews have been verified,throughout the Empire and at times with verylarge amounts. Hence, Jews from Erfurt played an
important role as money lenders for economy andtrade within and beyond the city. This finding is also
supported by the Erfurt Treasure (cf. p. 9). Local
intellectual life had a high reputation far beyond
Erfurt, too. Important scholars lived and taught here.
This intellectually and economically thriving
community life was abruptly ended in 1349: On
21 March, almost certainly Erfurt’s entire Jewish
community was wiped out when armed riotersraided the Jewish quarter. As in many other places,
they accused the Jews of having spread the Black
Death. The rioters slayed numerous members of theJewish community, the quarter around the synagogue
burned down. Up to 900 people died. Out of fearof persecution, some Jews had buried their valuables.
Due to the pogrom, precious community manuscripts
and the synagogue interior came into Christian possession. The synagogue itself was profaned and wasthus preserved until today. It is to this catastropheof all things that we owe the existence of the building
itself, today’s use as a museum and the majority of
its exhibits.

3

Components of the application

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Components of the application

the old synagogue
The Old Synagogue is situated in the immediate city
centre, at the core of the at the core of the historic
old town. Today, it is located on the site of Waagegasse no. 8, between Benediktsplatz, Michaelisstraße,
Fischmarkt and City Hall. The synagogue’s location
without direct visibility from the street is typical of
medieval synagogues in quarters inhabited by Jews
and Christians alike. The synagogue was the centre
of community life and hence of the Jewish settlement.
The Old Synagogue’s architectural history reflects
the history of the Jewish community in Erfurt in the
Middle Ages. Yet it also bears testimony to subsequentconversions and changes to the building. The oldest
parts of the western wall date back to as far as the endof the 11th century and are thus generally the earliest
evidence of a Jewish community in Erfurt: a timberfrom this first construction phase has been dendrodated to 1094. nowadays, it can not be reconstructed
exactly what the building looked like in this early
period. The same applies to the second construction
phase of the 12th century. Here again, only a shortstretch of the western wall with a sandstone doublearched window (biforium) has been preserved.
Around 1270, the Jewish community erected a large
and prestigious synagogue, incorporating parts ofthe previous building. Even today, the representative
western façade with five lancet windows and a large
tracery rosette effectively shapes the synagogue’souter appearance. The high interior was spanned by atimber barrel vault. Shortly after 1300, the synagogue
was expanded by a few metres to the north andanother storey was added. The extension had a magnificent symmetrical façade with the synagogue
entrance in the middle and five formerly tall lancet
windows laid out in a row above the doorway. It
possibly housed the women’s synagogue, traditionally separated from the main prayer room, or else
served as a school for the boys’ Hebrew lessons.
After the devastating pogrom of 1349 which also
caused severe damage to the synagogue, the city of
Erfurt acquired the building and subsequently soldit to a local merchant. He converted the synagogue
into a warehouse by fitting in a vaulted cellar, splitting
up the main prayer room into several storeys with
two solid timber ceilings and erecting a new roof
truss. nearly the entire synagogal interior fell victim
to this conversion.

4

The synagogue’s location without direct visibility from the street
is typical of medieval synagogues in quarters inhabited by Jews
and Christians alike. The synagogue was the centre of community
life and hence of the Jewish settlement.

Since the late 19th century, the former synagogue wasused for gastronomical purposes and had been transformed to that effect: a ballroom, kitchen and dining
areas and even two bowling alleys were created. It
was due to these changes as well as to adjacent buildings on all sides that the original synagogal edifice
was hardly recognizable for a long time. For thatreason, the building remained virtually unknown
to general perception, fortunately also during thenational Socialist era.
Only since the late 1980s has the synagogue
returned to public awareness. In 1998, the city of
Erfurt purchased the building and had it extensively
researched and renovated over the course of the following years. now housing a museum on the historyof Erfurt’s Jewish community in the Middle Ages,
the synagogue has found an appropriate use anew.

5Components of the application

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Components of the application

In Spring 2007, the remains of the medieval mikveh
were discovered during renovation works on the open
space northwest of Merchants’ Bridge.

The so-called »Stone House« is an exceptional testimonyof late medieval secular building culture.

the mikveh

the »stone house«

For a Jewish community – not only in the Middle
Ages – the ritual bath is of great importance. It was
mainly the women who were expected to use thebath after birth and menstruation in order to visit
the synagogue in a status of ritual purification.
Yet men, too, had to submerge in the mikveh after
having been exposed to the dead, sick or otherritually impure persons or objects before entering thesynagogue was allowed. Tableware also had to becleaned in the mikveh before first use or if it had been
ritually contaminated.
Bathing in the mikveh was carried out according toprecise rules. The completely naked body had to be
immersed entirely; even jewellery had to be doffed.
The water was required to be »living« water, it was
not to be ladled; spring or ground water, on the other
hand, were allowed and the basin had to contain theequivalent of at least one cubic metre at all times.
In Spring 2007, the remains of the medieval mikveh
were discovered during renovation works on the open
space northwest of Merchants’ Bridge.
The mikveh’s walls are of extraordinary quality.
Vault and upper mural parts are walled up in even6layers of limestone. The building, about 9 metreslong and just under 3 metres wide on the inside,features an alcove in its northern wall, presumably
used for depositing clothes. The basin, located on
the eastern wall, takes up its complete width. It wasreached by a staircase whose course can still be retraced by the former stairs’ imprints on the northernwall. According to instructions, the bath was suppliedwith groundwater, which was constantly available
due to the river Gera close by. The stairs permitted
complete immersion at all times, seasonal fluctuations
were thus easily counterbalanced.
The mikveh structure, according to first assessment
erected in the 13th century, reclined on the southernwall of at least one preceding building in the samespot.
The archaeological excavation was concluded in 2010.
Then, the erection of a protective building began,defending the remains of the medieval mikveh fromexternal influences on the one hand and enabling its
exhibition on the other. Since September 2011, themikveh is accessible to visitors within guided tours.

In a complex of buildings on Benediktsplatz 1 in thehistoric city centre, a medieval stone building islocated. It rises above a medieval cellar whose earliest
construction phases can be dated into the 12th century
by a Romanesque portal. Yet the edifice predominantly
dates from the 13th and was merely changed in few
parts during the 14th century. Exceptionally numerous
essential structures from its time of construction around1250 have been preserved, among those the portals
to both main storeys, the beamed storey ceiling, theoriginal stepped gable as well as the wooden roof
structure.
Unique throughout Germany is the upper storey’s room
interior with a lancet arched vented lighting niche,
hardly changed outer walls with scored joints as well asa painted beam ceiling.
The boards of the ceiling are consistently decorated witha wheel motif, while each of the beams features different
ornamentation. The beams have been dendro-dated to1241/42.
The so-called »Stone House« is an exceptional testimonyof late medieval secular building culture. What is more,
the edifice can be related to Jewish owners from the endof the 13th century at the latest.
Early in 2015, the high-medieval Jewish housing andtrade complex and its interior painted décor havebeen granted funding for a two-year interdisciplinary
project by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). Under the auspicesof the Berlin Institute of Technology and the Universityof Applied Sciences Erfurt, it will be extensively researched.

7

Complementary objects

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

The Erfurt gravestones originate from the 13th to 15th century
and hence from a period from which Jewish gravestones havevery rarely endured.

8

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Complementary objects

The most outstanding object in the Erfurt Treasure is a Jewish
wedding ring from the second half of the 14th century.

the gravestones

the erfurt treasure

To this day, 110 gravestones from the medieval Jewish
cemetery near Moritztor have been preserved.
Preserved descriptions, transcripts and/or photographs have made aware of around 92 stones. Amongthe conserved stones, 23 are complete or nearly so;
87 gravestones have been fragmentarily preserved.
Presently, three stones are on display in the Old
Synagogue. Two stones are in private hands (one ofthem within a cellar wall). Early in 2013, a »display
depot« was installed in the »Stone House«’s cellar
to have all gravestones gathered in one place where
they are kept safely and can be made accessible tothe public in an adequate manner.
The stones known so far have been catalogued, theirinscriptions are translated. Data (find spots, dates ofdeaths, traditions of epitaphs) has been assessed andcompared to other medieval Jewish gravestones.
The Erfurt gravestones originate from the 13th to15th century and hence from a period from which
Jewish gravestones have very rarely endured. The
oldest preserved Jewish gravestone we know of so far
was erected in 1244 for a woman whose name is
not legible any more. The second eldest gravestone isthe one of Hanna, daughter of Yehiel ha-Kohen,
from 1245. This stone is so far the one with the mostcomplex inscription.
The stones bear fundamental testimony, not only toEurope’s Jewish past, but also to Erfurt’s town history:
They document the eminent status of the Erfurt
Jewish community as a kehillah for Thuringia. Whatis more, by specific names of the deceased (esp.
›Kalonymos‹), relations to other communities can bepresumed, in particular to the so-called ›ShUM‹
communities Speyer, Worms and Mainz.

In 1998, shortly before archaeological investigations
on the site of Michaelisstraße 43 – not far from the
Old Synagogue – were completed, a large hoard was
discovered underneath the wall of a cellar entrance.
With a total weight of nearly 30 kg, it is unique insize and composition. With around 24 kg, 3,141 silver
coins and 14 silver ingots of different sizes and weight
form the biggest part of it. Moreover, the hoard
contained over 700 individual items of gothic goldsmith’s art, some highly accomplished. Among themis an ensemble of silver tableware, consisting of aset of eight beakers, one ewer, one drinking vessel aswell as a double cup. Among the pieces of jewellery,eight brooches of different sizes and form, partlywith abundant ornamentation of precious stones,
stand out as well as eight gold and silver rings. Yet,smaller objects such as parts of belts and garment
trimmings numerically form the biggest partof the goldsmith’s works. All objects can be dated
to the late 13th and the first half of the 14th century.

The treasure’s most outstanding object is a Jewish
wedding ring from the second quarter of the
14th century. Most captivating is the craftsmanshipof its Gothic miniature architecture, made of puregold. As far as it is known to date, only two further
medieval wedding rings of the same kind exist
throughout the world. The ring as well as the situationof the find spot in the heart of the former Jewish
quarter suggest that the treasure was owned by a
Jewish family. Due to dating of the hoard inventory,
the act of its hiding can be put into context with the
pogrom of 21 March, 1349. As last certifiable ownerof the site before the pogrom, the Jewish money
lender Kalman von Wiehe comes into consideration
as former treasure owner. Verifiably, he did notsurvive the pogrom of 1349.
After having travelled to exhibitions in Paris, newYork and London, the Erfurt Treasure is now on display in the cellar of the Old Synagogue and has thus
arrived at its permanent home and exhibition venue.

9Complementary objects

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

Complementary objects

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

The so-called Erfurt 1 bible is the largest known Hebrew bible
manuscript from the Middle Ages.

The Jewish-medieval heritage of Erfurt as a whole stands
out as an exceptional showcase example of metropolitan andcommunity culture in medieval Ashkenaz.

the hebrew manuscripts

the erfurt jewry oaththe bronze lamp

The Erfurt Jewry Oath is the oldest surviving written
form of an oath for Jews in German and, coevally, theearliest written testimony of the Erfurt community.
It originates from the reign of Bishop Konrad, who
held office in late 12th century. Attached to the document is the oldest known seal of the Erfurt Council.
With this oath, Jews could defend themselves incourt against accusations brought against them by
Christians. It documents in an impressive way
contacts between Jews and Christians and also theneed for legal regulations between these two groups.
The Erfurt Jewry Oath marks the beginning of a long
documentary tradition of similar oaths which were
included in many legal collections and municipal
by-laws approximately since the second half of the
13th century. The Erfurt Oath is a mere legal document and, in contrast to many late medieval Jewryoaths, does not prescribe any discriminatory rules of
performing the ritual.

Since the Middle Ages, bronze hanging lamps withstar-shaped lamp bowls are known from Jewish contexts. For instance, such lamps are often depicted inmedieval manuscripts, in most cases hanging fromliving room ceilings and used as sabbath lamps. Yet,lamps of this type were also used as sanctuary lamps
in synagogues, as historic illustrations prove.
Very rarely have such lamps been preserved. Having
been made around the year 1160, the Erfurt Bronze
Lamp so far is the oldest known example of this type.
The lamp base above the bowl with twelve snouts
is decorated with figurative depictions. They display
scenes from the Old Testament, such as Cain andAbel or the drunken noah with his sons. Furthermore, we can definitely identify individual
episodes from the Samson cycle as well
as scenes from the tale of King David. It
is from this choice of subjects that we
can infer a Jewish background, as in the
12th century, objects from a Christianenvironment would most certainly havebeen decorated with depictions fromthe new Testament. The original lamp is
kept in the treasure chamber of Erfurt
Cathedral. In the Old Synagogue, a copy
is exhibited which was donated by thecathedral chapter on the occasion of the
opening of the museum.

In the Berlin State Library – Prussian Cultural Heritage, a set of medieval Hebrew manuscripts isbeing kept. The writings originate from Erfurt, they
presumably belonged to the local community andwere written between the 12th and 14th century.
Most likely, they came into possession of the Erfurt
Council after the pogrom of 1349. Until the mid17th century, they were kept in the Erfurt Council
Library. Since that time, the manuscripts had been
incorporated into the collections of the Evangelical
Ministry in the Augustine monastery, where theyremained until well into the 19th century. In 1880,
the Evangelical Ministry sold the manuscripts for
5,000 marks to the Royal Library in Berlin. Today,
the State Library closely collaborates with the Old
Synagogue. For example, the original cover of the
Erfurt 1 bible is on permanent loan in the museum
and the two institutions have also collaborated on
the digitalisation of the entire collection of manu-

10

scripts from Erfurt. The set of documents includes
a few outstanding manuscripts, among them amedieval machsor, a so-called tossefta – a collectionof composite manuscripts, mainly responsa literature –and several medieval bibles. The so-called Erfurt 1
bible, accomplished in 1343, is of exceptional size:
Consisting of two volumes, each weighing around
50 kg and with a size of more than 60 by 45 cm, itis the largest known Hebrew bible manuscript from
the Middle Ages. The respective sections’ entry
pages are often lavishly decorated with so-calledmicrographies, skilful illustrations of plants, animals
and mythical creatures as well as geometrical ornaments composed of minute writing. Such depictions
permitted to circumvene the traditional prohibitionof creating images in Judaism. What is more, fourof a total of only ten preserved medieval torah scrolls
from the Ashkenaz region originate from Erfurt.
Among these is the largest known medieval scroll.

11

Becoming World Heritage.

Jewish-Medieval heritage erfurt

imprint
Issued byState Capital of Erfurt
99111 Erfurt
www.erfurt.de

List of Illustrations:Pages 4 and 5 – Old Synagogue; details of western
façade: rose window (above) and walled up lancet
window (below); exterior view: Atelier Papenfuss

Editors
Municipality of Erfurt
Culture Directorate
Sarah Laubenstein
Dr. Maria Stuerzebecher
World Heritage Coordinators
Benediktsplatz 1
99084 Erfurt

Page 6 – Mikveh; exterior view: gildehaus.reich,
A. Reich, interior view: P. Seidel

Phone:
Fax:
Email:+49 361 655-1602+49 361 655-1609
welterbe@erfurt.dewww. welterbe-werden. erfurt.dePage 7 – Stone House; exterior view: ThuringianState Office for the Preservation of Monuments andArchaeology (TLDA ), C. Misch
Page 8 – Medieval Jewish gravestones; TLDA , photo:
E. Driesel
Page 9 – Jewish wedding ring, Erfurt Treasure;
TLDA , photo: B. Stefan
Page 10 – Bible Erfurt 1; vol. 1, Berlin State Library,
Ms. Or. fol. 1210 p. 2; Berlin State Library – Prussian
Heritage
Page 11 – Erfurt Jewry Oath; Municipal Archive
Erfurt, 0-0/A XLVII nr. 1
Page 11 – Bronze lamp; Erfurt Diocese, photo:
E. Driesel

This publication was kindly supported by the State
Chancellery of Thuringia.