Synagogue

Since the 17th century, a Jewish community has been documented in Balbronn, as evidenced by census records. The old synagogue, located at 47-48 rue Balbach in a building called the "House of the Jews" built in 1638, was only used as a place of worship from 1730. The prayer room was upstairs, while a mikveh, now filled in, was located in a neighboring house. This ritual bath was used for the ablutions necessary for family purity rites, essential in Jewish community life. In the town center, some medieval houses still bear marks of the notches left by mezuzahs, these ritual objects affixed to door frames. Today, Balbronn has two synagogues: the old one from the 17th-18th centuries and a modern one located on rue des Femmes. The Jewish population sometimes represented up to one-fifth of the inhabitants, reaching 207 people in 1882 out of a total of 995. The modern synagogue, built in 1895 in a neo-Romanesque style, has been classified as a historic monument since 1999. Unused since 1989, it was restored in the 1960s after being damaged during World War II. At the time of its construction, Alsace, then under German rule, adopted the Rundbogenstil architectural style. The Holy Ark, once intended to house the Torah scrolls, is now empty and placed facing the entrance. The synagogue could accommodate between 100 men and 60 women.