Synagoge Löwenstrasse

Synagoge Zürich Löwenstrasse Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich
The building of the Synagogue as seen from Löwenstrasse
Basic information
Location	Zürich, Switzerland
Geographic coordinates	47°22′22.51″N 8°32′5.15″E / 47.3729194°N 8.5347639°E / 47.3729194; 8.5347639Coordinates: 47°22′22.51″N 8°32′5.15″E / 47.3729194°N 8.5347639°E / 47.3729194; 8.5347639
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
District	Zürich
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	open
Website	Official website
Architectural description
Architectural type	Gothic revival architecture
Architectural style	Moorish Revival architecture
Completed	1884
Construction cost	CHF 200,000
Specifications
Direction of façade	west
Capacity	about 350
Materials	Brick building

The Synagoge Zürich Löwenstrasse is the oldest and largest synagogue in the Swiss municipality of Zürich. In 1884 built in Moorish style, the oldest Synagogue of Zürich also houses the prayer and school house of Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich (ICZ) which was founded in 1862. ICZ is a unified Jewish community having about 2,500 members, and thus the largest Jewish community in Switzerland, which since 2007 in the Canton of Zürich is recognized as a denomination, i.e. ICZ has the same legal state as the Christian denomiations. In the synagogue, the community celebrates the daily Minyan and Shabbat and holiday services. The synagogue is a cultural heritage of national importance in Switzerland.

The synagoge is located at Löwenstrasse 10, between Bahnhofstrasse and Schanzengrabens in the City district of Zürich, between Löwenplatz (Zürich Trams 3 and 14) and Sihlporte (Trams 2 and 9). The Synagogue was built outside of the Baroque town wall those very last remains were broken in the 1900s, previously the Celtic-Roman Turicum, at the area being then called Aussersihl, meaning that it was outside of the medieval city at the former Sihl river delta.

In 2002 the building Froschaugasse 4 in the historical Neumarkt quarter was the location of archeological excavations. The former building Zur Judenschule ("Jewish school") was named so to the 18th century becaused it housed the European High Middle Ages synagogue of Zürich. In 1363 it was called "Judenschuol" (a medieval term in Zürich for a Synagogue), and some remains of the interior structure date before 1423 respectively 1349, when the Jewish citizens had to leave Zürich, and the synagogue was repealed. Obscured by later layers of plaster, a small remnant of the adornment was found on occasion of the surveys, including fragments of a wall painting from the 14th century.