Jewish cultural heritage - Endingen
Overview
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Intro
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Endingen one of two places in Switzerland where Jews were permitted to live. The eye-catching synagogue stands as the foremost architectural witness to the time when Jewish people settled here.
Endingen is located a bend in the Surbtal valley of Canton Aargau and is bounded to the east by a steep slope and to the west by gentle rolling hills. A decision taken in 1736 by the Old Swiss Confederacy singled out Endingen and its neighbour village Lengnau as the only places where Jews would be permitted to settle for a longer period. Up to the mid-nineteenth century, when the right of religious freedom was established, the arrival of Jewish immigrants doubled the population of Endingen to nearly 2,000.
Thus the nineteenth century saw the old parts of the village – featuring the large farmhouses typical of arable and wine-growing areas – complemented by new districts to house the Jewish population. These districts are characterised by modest, small-scale agricultural and residential buildings. The most striking structure from this phase of expansion is the 1845-built synagogue, which occupies a small square in the middle of the village.
Trip tip
Anyone wishing to learn more about Jewish culture can follow the Jüdischer Kulturweg trail with accompanying information panels. The synagogue is mainly used for cultural events and weddings. A visit to the Jewish cemetery, which is located between Lengnau and Endingen and is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Switzerland still in use, rounds off this excursion into local Jewish history.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
