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Modern times: the return to the cities

In the mid-19th century, the Jewish population in the Palatinate peaks, and at the same time, a drastic change begins: While the rural communities shrink, the Jewish population in the towns and cities starts to grow. The gradual improvement in equality for Jews advances their role in society and enables them to adopt an educated middle-class lifestyle. Jewish men and women participate in various associations and contribute to shaping social life. This overall change in society also transforms the religious understanding: The newly arising liberal Judaism introduces German-language services and abolishes the segregation of men and women in the synagogue.

Sports festival of the Castellaun Sports Club (SVC)

© Förderkreis Synagoge Laufersweiler e.V.

The sense of belonging to the community is also reflected in how Jewish people are actively involved in clubs and associations. The Castellaun Sports Club, for example, sometimes welcomes more than 20 active Jewish members.

Historical postcards of Kaiserslautern

The postcards feature a remarkable selection of images clearly chosen to shine the spotlight on the new Kaiserslautern of the Gründerzeit period. One of these images shows the city’s grand synagogue, which was inaugurated in 1886 and is given the same importance as the Catholic St Mary’s Church and the Bismarck Monument. A memorial for the synagogue, which was demolished in 1938, has been standing in the Synagogenplatz (Synagogue Square) since 1980. A virtual reconstruction provides an insight into what the impressive building once looked like.