Wörlitz Synagogue

The Wörlitz Synagogue is a synagogue built in 1790 by order of Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau. It is located within the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The duke, a follower of the Enlightenment, had the synagogue built as an expression of his tolerance policy but also as an ornament for his gardens. The prior synagogue was torn down in the course of embellishing Wörlitz. It was the sole synagogue in the tiny town of Wörlitz and was used by its Jewish community in an era when Jews lived in German principalities by permission of the prince.The synagogue was designed by the Duke's court architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff, who modeled it after the "Temple of Vesta" in Tivoli.Twelve pilasters adorn the exterior.