Part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage SchUM sites of Mainz, Worms and Speyer
While remains of the medieval synagogue in Speyer have been preserved and the mikvah can be visited in very good condition, almost in its original state, the Jewish cemetery and the residential buildings of the former Jewish quarter no longer exist. The original buildings of the ‘Alte Judengasse’ (now Kleine Pfaffengasse) were destroyed in the great town fire of 1689. New residential buildings were built in their place in the 18th century. The city of Speyer gradually acquired plots of land in this area and made the former place of worship accessible to the public.
To set up the SchPIRA Museum, the Historical Museum of the Palatinate and the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments provided permanent loans from the Judaica collection. On display are archaeological exhibits from the three most important pillars of the Jewish community: synagogue, ritual bath and cemetery.
In 2010, the original objects were returned to the immediate vicinity of their original use. Well protected from the weather and other environmental influences, the windows, capitals and other architectural elements, gravestones, coins (‘Treasure of Lingenfeld’) and floor tiles in the SchPIRA Museum bear witness to Jewish Speyer in the Middle Ages.
The Judenhof and the SchPIRA Museum are run by Verkehrsverein Speyer e.V.. You can find more details about the museum, the Judenhof and admission prices on their website (German only).
Admission is free with the Pfalzcard.
Opening hours:
Summer: April to October daily 10 am to 5 pm
Winter: November to March Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm