The ritual bathhouse is located behind the former synagogue and is on private property today. A bathhouse is used for ritual purification in the Jewish religion. It is not only about physical purification, but most importantly about spiritual purification. It is called mikvah in Hebrew, which means "to flow together" or "to gather." There are some specifications for a mikvah to be able to fulfill its purpose. It must be large enough for an adult person to be fully immersed, and the water must come from a spring or flowing body of water, be "living." Therefore, the former bathhouse faces the river Lumda. Before the religious ritual of immersion one should have bathed, so in many places a bathhouse and the mikvah are in one place.
During the Nazi period, the synagogue and mikvah were destroyed and / or desecrated. The building of the mikvah was later used as a barn and coal cellar. A round arch can be seen on the outer facade, which could still be from the original building. So far, no illustrations or photos of the former synagogue or mikvah have been located.
The photos above show the building of the mikvah in 1992 and 2022. Compare the two photos.
- What insights can be gained by comparing a current photograph with an archival photograph of a location that no longer exists?
- How does this exercise contribute to our understanding of history and remembrance?