Culture Synagogues in Switzerland Previous Next The synagogue in La Chaux-de-Fonds, built in 1896, and one of the biggest in Switzerland. The town's watchmaking industry first attracted Jews from Alsace in the 1830s. The inside of the dome of the synagogue in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Notice board from the Löwenstrasse synagogue in Zurich, showing the times of the start of services. The synagogue in Endingen. Built in 1852, it is the second oldest in Switzerland. The tablets of the law are clearly visible on the roof. It is unusual in having a clock. The ceiling of the apse in the synagogue in Endingen, painted to look like Moorish stonework. A switch for the "eternal light" in the synagogue in Bern. The "eternal light" is the symbol of God's presence. Detail of the "Aron Hakodesh", where the Torah rolls are kept, and the "eternal light" above it, from the Lugano synagogue, built in 1959. The synagogue in St Gallen, built in 1881. The red carpet in the street is part of the "City Lounge", a work by multimedia artist Pipilotti Rist and architect Carlos Martinez unveiled in 2005. The view from the women's section of the St Gallen synagogue. The synagogue was restored in 2004, but its decor remains unchanged - the sole remaining example of such orientalising architecture. Detail of the staircase in the Lausanne synagogue, 1910. Interior of the Leimenstrasse synagogue in Basel, built in 1868. Interior of the Löwenstrasse synagogue in Zurich after rebuilding in 1993. The synagogue was first opened in 1884. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6 Picture 7 Picture 8 Picture 9 Picture 10 Picture 11 Picture 12 This content was published on December 30, 2009 - 11:59 Photographer Michael Richter captures the diverse interiors and exteriors of synagogues across Switzerland. (© Chronos Verlag, 2008) You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us! If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.