Archeologists have discovered a mikveh, or ritual bath, dating back to the 16th or 17th century in the town of Schmalkalden in former East Germany.
The Thuringian State Office of Historic Monuments and Archaeology (TLDA) announced the discovery on October 29, stating that the mikveh was discovered under the floor of a vaulted cellar in the courtyard of a half-timbered building (at Hoffnung 38). The building is located near the former Judengasse, or Jewish Lane, where the town’s synagogue, originally built in the 17th century, stood until it was destroyed on Kristallnacht, Nov. 9-10, 1938.
The discovery of the mikveh, it said, was made in the course of excavations in a zone slated for housing construction.
The announcement said the mikveh had two differently sized, well-maintained pools. Based on ceramics found by archeologists, experts determined that it had probably not been used since the 18th century at the latest.
The earliest mention of Jews in Schmalkalden dates from the 13th century.
There are several other medieval mikvehs in Germany, including in nearby Erfurt, where remains of the early medieval synagogue also survive. Other medieval mikvehs can be found in Worms, Speyer, and Cologne.
Read the JTA story about the discovery
Read the announcement of the discovery (in German)