The old synagogue

A Jewish community already existed in Coburg during the Middle Ages. It was first mentioned in a 1301 document issued by King Albert I of Germany. At the time, most Jews likely lived in the area now known as Judengasse, as suggested by a reference to the Judentor (Jewish Gate) from 1321. The term Judengasse does not appear until 1393. No ghetto existed here at the time.

The community was flourishing around 1400, numbering approximately 60 members. By then, Coburg already had a synagogue, probably located near the Judentor, on the site of today’s Judengasse 9. It is not possible to determine its exact location today. The place of worship likely also had a ritual bath, a so-called “mikveh” and a cantor served in the synagogue itself. He conducted the service and recited or sang prayers aloud.  The so-called “Coburg Pentateuch” was produced within the religious milieu of the synagogue around 1395. This is a magnificently illuminated Hebrew manuscript containing the Five Books of Moses. Today, it is kept in the British Museum in London.

The community also had its own cemetery, first mentioned in 1413. It was located in the Judenvorstadt near the Hahnfluss stream. During construction work more than 130 years ago, a Jewish gravestone dated from 1457 was discovered there. The cemetery’s date of closure is unknown, but the last burial took place in 1466.

In 1445, Duke William III of Saxony ordered the expulsion of the Jews from Coburg. As a result, the synagogue had to be abandoned. Two years later, local patrician Hans Eyban sought to convert the building into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to ensure his salvation. The project ultimately failed for unknown reasons. Therefore, the synagogue remained standing until it was likely demolished as late as 1565. For centuries thereafter, there was no Jewish presence in Coburg.