Lübeck - Synagogue

The area around Lübeck, today a large city with a population of more than 200,000, had been settled by Slavs since the 7th century. Slavs had a settlement north of the present city called "Liubice", which was razed by the pagan Rani tribe in 1128.

15 years later Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, founded the modern town as a German settlement on the river island of Bucu. He built a new castle, first mentioned as existing in 1147. Adolf II had to cede the castle to the Duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, in 1158. After Henry's fall from power in 1181, the town became an Imperial city. Emperor Barbarossa ordained that the city should have a ruling council of 20 members. With the council dominated by merchants, trade interests shaped Lübeck's politics for centuries.

In the 14th century, Lübeck became the "Queen of the Hanseatic League", being by far the largest and most powerful member of that medieval trade organization. In 1375, Emperor Charles IV named Lübeck one of the five "Glories of the Empire", a title shared with Venice, Rome, Pisa, and Florence.

Conflicts about trading privileges resulted in fighting between Lübeck (with the Hanseatic League) and Denmark and Norway – with varying outcome. While Lübeck and the Hanseatic League prevailed in conflicts in 1435 and 1512, Lübeck lost when it became involved in a civil war that raged in Denmark from 1534 to 1536. From then on Lübeck's power slowly declined. The city remained neutral in the Thirty Years' War, but the devastation from the decades-long war and the new transatlantic orientation of European trade caused the Hanseatic League – and thus Lübeck with it – to decline in importance. However, Lübeck still remained an important trading town on the Baltic Sea.
After the Jewish community had acquired the land in 1862 the construction of the synagogue began in 1878. It was completed in 1880, built in the so-called "Moorish style" with a dome. On Pogrom Night 1938, the synagogue was desecrated but not set on fire, as it was already slated for sale to the city of Lübeck. The Moorish style elements, as well as the dome, were removed, the building got a plain brick facade and was used as a sports hall.

After WWII the synagogue fell into a poor structural condition. A discussion arose in 2012 as to whether or not the historic façade from the time of construction should be restored. The restoration finally began in 2014.

Twice, in 1994 and in 1995 arson attacks on the synagogue were carried out. Four right-wing extremists could be identified after the first attack. They were sentenced to prison terms. The perpetrators of the second attack could not be identified.