Synagogue de la Paix

The Synagogue of Peace (Synagogue de la Paix) is an active Ashkenazi synagogue in Strasbourg, France, run together with a Jewish cultural centre for the local community. It stands on the site of the city's Old Synagogue, destroyed by the Nazis on 12 September 1940, and today it remains the main house of worship for Strasbourg's Jewish community.

How do you get there?

The synagogue sits close to the historic core of Strasbourg, in the Bas-Rhin department, a short walk from Strasbourg Cathedral and the Grande Île, the city's UNESCO-listed old town. Visitors staying in the centre can simply walk over; the CTS tram network also covers the area densely, with stops just a few minutes away on foot. Coming from Strasbourg-Ville railway station, a tram ride or a twenty-minute walk through downtown will get you there. Drivers will find several paid underground car parks nearby, as is typical for a European city centre.

What happened here before the war?

The plot the synagogue now occupies carries a heavy history. Strasbourg's original Old Synagogue, a grand nineteenth-century building, was one of the most imposing in the region until German occupying forces destroyed it on 12 September 1940, in the early months of the annexation of Alsace. After the war, the Jewish community chose to rebuild its religious life on that very spot, raising a new building and giving it a deliberately symbolic name — the Synagogue of Peace — to mark the intent to rebuild and reconcile after years of war and persecution.

What will you see there?

Today the Synagogue of Peace functions as a working Ashkenazi house of worship and, at the same time, as a hub of Jewish cultural life in the city. Services, religious holidays and cultural or educational events tied to the history of Alsace's Jewish community all take place within the complex. For visitors, the site matters above all as a place of memory — testimony both to the 1940 destruction and to the community's postwar rebuilding. Because it remains an active place of worship rather than a museum, access to the interior is usually limited to service times or requires arranging a visit in advance, particularly for groups.

When should you visit?

Weekday daytime hours are the best time to explore the surrounding neighbourhood, when central Strasbourg is at its liveliest and nearby cafés and shops are open. Anyone hoping to see the interior should check opening arrangements ahead of time or contact the local Jewish community directly, since access is often controlled for security reasons. As with any active place of worship, modest dress is expected, and visitors should keep a respectful, quiet presence if prayers are underway.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the Synagogue of Peace and the Old Synagogue? The Old Synagogue stood on a different site and was destroyed by German forces on 12 September 1940. The Synagogue of Peace was built after the war on that same site as its spiritual and symbolic successor.

Can visitors go inside? Yes, though as an active place of worship, access is generally limited to service times or requires arranging a visit beforehand, especially for groups.

Which Jewish tradition does the synagogue serve? It is an Ashkenazi synagogue serving Strasbourg's local Jewish community and that of the wider Bas-Rhin department.

How do you reach it from the city centre? The synagogue is close to central Strasbourg, a short distance from the cathedral and the Grande Île — reachable on foot or via the CTS tram network.