Strasbourg’s principal synagogue before the Second World War, built during the city’s period as part of the German Empire and destroyed by Nazi occupation in 1940.
At a glance
The Synagogue du Quai Kléber (also known as the Neue Synagoge, or New Synagogue) served as the main house of worship for Strasbourg’s Jewish community during the early twentieth century. Constructed in the Neustadt district while Alsace remained under German rule, it stood until Nazi Germany destroyed it following the annexation of the city in 1940.
History
The synagogue was erected during Strasbourg’s time within the German Empire, before the city returned to French sovereignty in 1918. For the interwar decades, the Jewish community of Strasbourg flourished under French administration. This period of relative stability ended with the Nazi occupation in 1940, which resulted in the destruction of the building and the dispersal of the community.
What you see
Built in the Neustadt district, the synagogue reflected the architectural ambitions of late nineteenth-century Central European Jewish communities. No structure remains at the site today.
Cultural significance
The Synagogue du Quai Kléber embodied the integration of Strasbourg’s Jewish population into civic life during both the German and French periods. Its destruction marks a rupture in centuries of Jewish presence in Alsace, and its loss stands as a memorial to the Holocaust’s impact on French Jewry.
Key facts
- Country: France
- City: Strasbourg
- Coordinates: 48.58527778, 7.74166667
Practical information & getting there
The site of the former synagogue is located in central Strasbourg. A memorial or commemorative marker may mark the location; check locally for current information about remembrance sites dedicated to the city’s destroyed Jewish heritage.
Sources & resources
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