The Old Synagogue in Essen was designed by Edmund Körner for the city's Reform Jewish congregation. Rabbi Salomon Samuel, appointed in 1894, initiated the project and guided the interior decoration. Groundbreaking took place in 1911, and it was inaugurated on September 25, 1913. The exterior is Byzantine Revival and the interior Art Nouveau. A copper-topped dome rises about 121 feet (37 meters), and the building measures about 230 feet by 98 feet (70 by 30 meters).
The main hall held more than 1,500 people. Arson on Kristallnacht, November 9 and 10, 1938, destroyed the interior, though the exterior stayed nearly intact. From 1960 to 1961 it served as a design museum, and it was rebuilt from 1986 to 1988.
Since July 13, 2010, it has served as a cultural and memorial site on the history of Essen's former Jewish community, with exhibitions, concerts and readings.
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