Welcome to the Synagogue of Baden

Welcome to the Synagogue of Baden and the ZIB

At the Baden Synagogue and the cultural center "Zentrum für Interkulturelle Begegnung - ZIB", numerous events take place every year.

A diverse program—including book presentations, concerts, film evenings, rabbinical lectures, commemorative events and an open house at the synagogue—highlights the ongoing effort and strong interest in memory culture and engagement with Jewish history in Baden. At the same time it reflects the joy of bringing contemporary Jewish life back to Baden.

History

The Jewish community of Baden can trace its origins back to the 14th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries it developed into an economic and cultural center with synagogues, schools and other institutions.

With the annexation of Austria in 1938 and the subsequent Nazi regime Jews were systematically disenfranchised, dispossessed and persecuted, leaving communal life largely destroyed by 1945.

After the war a few survivors returned; a slow rebuilding process began, memorials were established and interreligious dialogue was promoted. In 2005 the renovated synagogue was handed over to the recently renamed Jewish Community of Baden. Since then, the upper floor of the synagogue has housed a cultural center - Zentrum für interkulturelle Begegnung (ZIB). Since 2024 the Jewish Community of Vienna has incorporated the ZIB and the synagogue into its cultural program.