A Moorish Revival Synagogue Honoring 8,000 Holocaust Victims

The Great Synagogue of Stockholm stands as a bold testament to Moorish Revival architecture, a style defined by its unique Oriental motifs. Designed by Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander and finished in 1870, the structure took the place of previous gathering spots in the Old Town. The front facade is inscribed with Hebrew: ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם, lit. 'And make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them', from Exodus 25:8-9.

Stepping beneath the prayer hall reveals the Judiska, also known as the Jewish Community Library. This space invites deep exploration of a multilingual collection, including the private archives of Rabbi Marcus Ehrenpreis, who held the position of Chief Rabbi of Sweden from 1914 to 1951. It functions as a vital hub for study and historical inquiry, hosting exhibits such as the 2007 exhibit of the Friedrich Kellner diary which chronicles the years of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust of European Jewry.

There is a profound sense of solemnity within these walls. In 1998, King Carl XVI Gustav dedicated a monument here to honor the relatives of Swedish Jews who perished during the Holocaust. This memorial ensures that the names of more than 8,000 individuals remain present in the local landscape. Furthermore, a new mikvah was added to the basement in 2017.

This site continues to serve as a living house of worship for a Conservative Jewish congregation. The community is led by Ute Steyer, who broke barriers in 2015 as Sweden's first female rabbi. You can find this house of worship on Wahrendorffsgatan, located near the park of Kungsträdgården.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons