At a ceremony on Sunday (October 26) the 19th century synagogue of Metz was reopened after a €2.3 million restoration that had kept it closed for two years. Local TV said more than 650 people packed the synagogue for the event.
Watch a TV video report of the opening event:
The restoration was financed by public subsidies and private donations, and also, as we noted in July, the synagogue was the first awardee under the new Jewish heritage Program of the Fondation du Patrimoine.
Listed as a historic monument since 1984, the synagogue was designed by city architect Nicolas Derobe and built in 1848-1850 to replace an earlier synagogue.
An “open doors” event November 2, 2025 will program guided tours, a lecture, concert, and more to celebrate the reopening within the framework of the European Days of Jewish Culture.
Owned and used by the Jewish community, it is an elegant building with a facade in tan Jaumont stone, marked by tall arches.
The interior is noted for the organ, the coffered wooden ceiling, and wooden fittings on the arched, two-floor women’s galleries.
The full restoration inside and out started in 2023 and was initiated by the Metz Jewish community and the Moselle Jewish Consistory.
The work included restoration of the facade, stone steps, and outside doors. Inside, layers of paint were stripped from the pillars to reveal the Jaumont stone; cracks were repaired, and the flooring, interior decorations, ceilings, bays, and stained glass windows were restored in a way that recovered the original colors.
Watch a video showing the restored synagogue:
Click to see the program of the November 2 Open Doors event
Read our post from July, describing the restoration
Click for the Fondation du Patrimoine’s page on the synagogue