Jewish Museum and synagogue

Did you know that the doctors finding out about the curative properties of Merano's waters were actually Jewish? And that they were also present when offering Merano's vinotherapy for the first time? All this happened in the late 19th century, at time when the Jewish community of Merano was particularly active. Several buildings were raised, among them a Jewish cemetery, a synagogue and a sanatorium. It is right this synagogue that today houses the Jewish Museum with its documents and objects.

The museum is divided into three sections: history, religion, and the Shoah. Documents and historical objects, including a Torah scroll (likely from the 15th century) and tefillin (phylacteries), trace the evolution of the Jewish community. The exhibition illuminates its rise, the years of annihilation during the Shoah, the challenging post-war reconstruction, and contemporary cultural life. The connection to the growth of Jewish tourism until the 1930s is also explored. For example, Chaim Weizmann, who later became the first president of Israel, was a guest in Meran.

The exhibition rooms within the synagogue were recently redesigned to showcase the collection in a contemporary way. The redesign was led by the Meran artist Ulrich Egger. The project was supported by the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol and the city of Meran. You can find the museum southwest of the Merano Thermal Baths in the old town. From the thermal baths car park, you can reach it in 4 minutes on foot, and from the Arcades in 10 minutes.