The synagogue in Krystalgade

Facts

38 years for a new synagogue

By Mette Lilly Nielsen, Bachelor i hebraisk sprog og jødisk kultur fra Københavns UniversitetCand.mag.i hebraisk og mellemøstlige samfund fra Københavns Universitet (3 stories)

Denmark's main synagogue at Krystalgade 12 in central Copenhagen was built in 1831-1833 and formally opened on 12 April 1833. The Krystalgade plot of land was bought by members of the Jewish community in 1799 as the site for a new main synagogue. There was once a large synagogue in Læderstræde, but it burned down in 1795 along with two other synagogues and large areas of central Copenhagen. The Krystalgade synagogue was designed by architect Gustav Friederich Hetch in the neo-classicistic style with Oriental and Egyptian tones, and it stands out as an eye-catching Golden Age building in Copenhagen.

Partly a public place

Selected entry

New Chief Rabbi gathers the Jewish community

Story written by Mette Lilly Nielsen

Time / Periode 1831 1833

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Since 1684, when two wealthy Jews were granted permission to hold services in their homes – behind closed doors, so as not to offend the neighbours – there have been various synagogues in Copenhagen and the provinces. But 38 years passed after the fire in 1795, before Copenhagen once more had a main synagogue. This was due partly to an internal conflict between those who wanted to reform and those who wanted to preserve the Orthodox line. When Abraham Alexander Wolff was appointed Chief Rabbi in 1828, he managed to gather large parts of the Jewish community, and building work could begin on the new synagogue. Today, Krystalgade's large Orthodox synagogue still encompasses many different viewpoints. Copenhagen also has a smaller, more Orthodox Jewish community and a progressive community.