How can Jewish cultural assets be protected in Bavaria? – Bavaria

Desecrated by the Nazis, later used as a warehouse for the Raiffeisen cooperative – and now an impressive building reminiscent of the history of the Jews in Upper Franconia. The Ermreuth synagogue in the Forchheim district has had an eventful history. Since last New Year’s Eve, she has been enriched by an ugly chapter – because a 21-year-old man is said to have damaged a window pane that evening and tried to ignite a firecracker. He wanted to throw it through the window to set the building on fire.

The state government’s anti-Semitism commissioner, Ludwig Spaenle, was also shocked: “Someone tried to set fire to the synagogue there.” The allegedly right-wing extremist motivated attack failed. The suspect, caught a month ago, is now in custody; the Central Anti-Semitism Commissioner of the Bavarian judiciary, based at the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office, is conducting the investigation. A spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office did not give details for the time being. Just this much: So far, the alleged perpetrator has not had any connections to the right-wing extremist “Hoffmann Wehrsportgruppe”.

The group, which was banned in 1980, used to temporarily have its headquarters in Ermreuth Castle. The mayor of Neunkirchen am Brand, Martin Walz, said he was very happy with the quick results of the investigation. One now has the chance to be able to continue the important and good work in the synagogue unencumbered. “That should be our ultimate goal: to keep doing good work against anti-Semitism, understanding through education and enriching our culture in the foreground.”

It may come as a surprise that there is a synagogue in the small village of Ermreuth near Neunkirchen am Brand. In fact, for centuries Jewish life in present-day Bavaria largely took place in the countryside. More precisely in Franconia, but also in parts of Swabia. Because the Jews were allowed to settle in the territories there when they were expelled from the big cities in the late Middle Ages. Synagogues in small villages, Jewish cemeteries with ancient tombstones still bear witness to rural Judaism, although many people left the small communities in the 19th century to move to larger cities or to emigrate.

Built in 1822, the synagogue was first used as a warehouse after the Second World War before it was renovated and reopened in 1994 – as a place of encounter and culture.

(Photo: Daniel Vogl/dpa)

During the Nazi era, many testimonies to Jewish life were desecrated or destroyed. In recent decades, however, many sites have been restored, including Ermreuth. After the war, the building erected in 1822 was initially transferred to the Raiffeisen cooperative and used as a warehouse. After the renovation work, the former synagogue was reopened in 1994 – as a meeting place and culture center including an exhibition. Because in the course of the restoration, numerous objects and writings that had belonged to the former parishioners were found in the attic. “I think it’s very important to be able to show that Jewish life is not alien, but part of our history. Being able to show that on site and in the community remains a gift from the past and an opportunity for us,” says Mayor Walz.

In Ermreuth, video surveillance helped the investigation to be successful after the attack. Especially smaller synagogues in small communities cannot be protected around the clock. Spaenle emphasizes that the Free State uses police forces to protect Jewish institutions and Jews who are at risk. Cases like the one in Ermreuth should, however, lead to increased protection of the facilities that are not currently used as a prayer room, but serve to commemorate and convey Jewish life. “Because we also have to consider attacks on them as attacks on Jewish life.”

The number of anti-Semitic crimes has continued to rise in Germany and Bavaria in recent years. “The majority are committed by right-wing extremists, but there is also a growing Islamist anti-Semitism that we must not overlook. The rule of law must react decisively to these crimes – especially the police and the judiciary,” says Spaenle. The anti-Semitism commissioner also wants to start earlier – namely with prevention, so that there are no attempts at criminal offenses and criminal offenses themselves. Above all, it must be about sustainable prevention and education work against Jew hatred and anti-Semitism in the long term. “And we have to tighten criminal law where it seems necessary.”

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