The Synagogue

After the return of Jews to Mulhouse in 1798, when no Jewish families had lived there since the early 16th century, the Israelite worship was held in prayer spaces that quickly became too small. A new synagogue, designed by architect J-B Schacre, was inaugurated in 1849. This building is distinguished by marked contrasts between its different parts: the nave, tall and wide, with slender windows, contrasts with the narrow and low side aisles, which have squat openings. Inside, the nave is covered with white plaster, while the side aisles are built of pink sandstone. The gable wall facing Rabbis Street is particularly ornate: its triangular pediment displays the tablets of the law topped by an oculus, framed by seven-branched candlesticks, the menorahs, supported by paired pilasters. The entire building, both inside and out, adopts an orientalist style typical of synagogues built in the mid-19th century.