After the expulsion of Jews from Nuremberg during the Middle Ages, they did not settle there again until 1839. They were granted permission to organise a religious community in 1862. Eight years later, they began the construction of the Reform Synagogue on Hans-Sachs-Platz. The solemn consecration of the synagogue took place on 8 September 1874, and its symbolic opening was performed by Mayor Otto Stromer von Reichenbach, whose ancestor had once expelled Jews from the city (H. Eschwege, Die Synagoge in der deutschen Geschichte, Dresden 1980, pp. 127).
The synagogue was built in an eclectic style by Adolf Wolff (1832–1885) from Stuttgart. Wolff incorporated, among other things, Arab architectural motifs fashionable in synagogue construction in the second half of the 19th century, the so-called Moorish style, which is particularly evident in the front elevation (www.alemannia-judaica.de/nuernberg_synagoge.htm, accessed on 8 April 2021).
The Nuremberg synagogue is depicted in an archival postcard that features a painted composition by Otto Wiegk (1872–1914). In the foreground, there is a lazily flowing river with a bridge in the distance. The opposite bank of the river is densely populated with houses on high foundations, some of which are reflected in the water's surface. There are numerous galleries and bay windows on the facades, from which clusters of lush greenery hang down. Red-tiled rooflines are highly varied – they are recessed, broken, and interrupted by numerous mansard roofs. The high dome of the grand synagogue, situated on a circular foundation (tambour), clearly dominates over the surrounding buildings. It rises from a tented roof. On the western side, two smaller domes were placed, and the whole structure was crowned with a spike ending in a Star of David.
In the lower right corner of the reproduction is the artist's mark: "O. Wiegk", and in the left corner there is the publishing mark: "M.R. Co." and the title of the work: "Motif from Schütt Island". Below the image, the inscription says "Fragment of Schütt island", while on the reverse side there is the term: "Postcard". Two postmarks are present on the reverse: "NUREMBERG 2/ 7/ AUG./ BEFORE 9-10/ 99." and a delivery stamp: "REICHENBERG - CITY/ 8/8/ IX/ 99". The addressee was Franz Neumann.
The postcard was purchased for the collection of the Leszno Museum in 2011 from Marta Pogoreło of Leszno.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
