Alte Synagoge

The Old Synagogue in Dresden, also known as the Semper Synagogue, was the central house of worship of the Jewish community and was consecrated in 1840. Designed by Gottfried Semper, the Neo-Romanesque building was considered the largest synagogue in Germany at the time of its completion. It initially had room for 300 men and 200 women, before an expansion in 1935 raised its capacity to 650 people. The building stood in a prominent spot on the banks of the Elbe, although its visibility was later reduced by urban development projects such as the construction of the Carola Bridge and the filling in of the Gondelhafen harbor. The history of the Jewish presence in Dresden dates back to the 13th century, but it was not until the 19th century that restrictive laws were overcome and a shared house of worship could be built.

Architecturally, the synagogue is a masterpiece in the integration of different stylistic elements. On the outside, the square central structure, with its round arches and octagonal drum, was built in the Neo-Romanesque style, drawing on Byzantine and early Christian forms. The interior, by contrast, was designed throughout in an Orientalizing style, which Semper saw as a symbolic link between the Oriental world and Western Europe. The space was laid out on a Greek-cross plan, with four equally long arms marked by zigzag arches and Moorish-Byzantine ornamentation. To the east stood the Torah ark, elaborately crafted from oak and flanked by candelabra, while women's galleries ran around the room. This design served as a model for numerous later synagogues.

The synagogue's existence came to an end during the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938, when it was looted and set on fire by the Nazis. Firefighters were prevented from extinguishing the blaze, so the building burned out and was then blown up. A Star of David designed by Semper was rescued by firefighters and later incorporated into the New Synagogue. Today, a memorial stele on the original site commemorates the destruction and the victims of National Socialism. The New Synagogue was consecrated in 2001, while the historical significance of the Semper Synagogue lives on as a symbol of Jewish culture and history in Dresden.