Synagogue-grenier Traenheim

The Traenheim synagogue was built between 1722 and 1723 in the attic of a house dating from 1582. The worship space consisted of an oratory and a women?s area, but is only partially preserved. The internal partitions are decorated with religious texts, objects and plant motifs. Traenheim is one of those Alsatian villages where Jews were already present in the 16th century, although there is no written record of their numbers. The first Jewish house in the village dates back to 1554. As part of the Hanau-Lichtenberg county, Jews enjoyed a privileged position and were not obliged to live in a specific district. In 1784, there were a total of 25 Jewish individuals in the village, rising to 68 in 1851. Until 1723, Jews from Traenheim went to Westhoffen. An elderly, blind man was given permission to set up a room in his home for around twenty people, as well as another room for the same number of women. The place was only open to Jews from the village, but this was not respected at the time of its inauguration, leading to the anger and displeasure of the pastor. Although much talked about, the location of this synagogue was unknown. It was only in 1990-1991, when work was being carried out in an attic, that a family discovered Hebrew inscriptions under a layer of plaster, as well as a whole series of symbolic decorative motifs. The space, measuring 5.50m by 4.50m, was under a roof frame, with the areas between the half-timbering painted in varying shades of blue and black. All the panels feature floral decoration. The attic has been listed as a historic monument, thanks to the rarity of the decor compared with other buildings in the region.

- Synagogue not open to the public -