Synagogue construction plans: Richard Freygang's legacy returns to Wilhelmshaven!

Synagogue construction plans: Richard Freygang's legacy returns to Wilhelmshaven!

An emotional moment for the city of Wilhelmshaven: On July 19, 2025, Manfred Freygang and Petra Ketscher handed over the building plans of their grandfather Richard Freygang to the city archives. These historically valuable documents are being returned to their place of origin, where the synagogue that was set on fire during Kristallnacht in 1938 once stood. Richard Freygang, the synagogue's architect, witnessed the horrific event from his home at Parkstrasse 14.

The synagogue was inaugurated on September 22, 1915 and could accommodate 400 people. It was a central location for the Jewish community in Wilhelmshaven, which existed until 1940 and originally formed a double community with the Jews of the surrounding villages. Construction work began in 1913, and the synagogue was the result of the Jewish population's desire to create their own place of worship.

The eventful story of Richard Freygang

Richard Freygang, born in Halle an der Saale in 1882, came to Wilhelmshaven in 1912, where he opened an architectural office. After the First World War he struggled with economic difficulties, but worked as an architect and building expert until he was 85 years old. His plans, which his grandchildren have now handed over to the city archives, come from a time when the Jewish community was flourishing.

Petra Ketscher, Richard Freygang's daughter, explained that her mother had kept the construction plans for decades. She wanted to ensure that these valuable documents found their way back to Wilhelmshaven, as there were no other descendants who could take care of the materials. City archive manager Dr. Wiebke Janssen will now check whether the documents represent drafts or the final construction plan.

The tragedy of Kristallnacht

The dark turn in the history of the Jewish community came on November 9, 1938, when the synagogue was set on fire - part of the disgusting anti-Semitic mobilization initiated by the Nazis. The reason for the pogrom night was the murder of the Nazi diplomat Ernst vom Rath by a Polish Jew, which Joseph Goebbels exploited for his anti-Semitic diatribe. That night marked the transition from discrimination to the systematic persecution of Jews.

As in many other cities, Jewish shops and homes in Wilhelmshaven were devastated and numerous Jews were arrested or deported. 34 men were taken to the “Jahn Hall” and from there transported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The symbols of this terrible time include the memorial on the former synagogue square, which was set up in the 1970s and commemorates the persecution of the Jews.

The Jewish community in Wilhelmshaven had 239 members at its best, before around 100 members left the city due to the Nazi disenfranchisement. In the end, only a few remained until the community was finally dissolved in 1940. The November pogrom and its consequences are a central part of the city's historical reappraisal and a reminder of the horrors of the past.

The commemorations, such as the annual event marking the anniversary of the night of the pogrom, still attract many people today and promote the memory of those who were lost. With the return of Richard Freygang's building plans, Wilhelmshaven not only gets a piece of its history back, but also the opportunity to learn from this history and keep the memory alive.

For more information on the history of the Jewish community in Wilhelmshaven, look up Wikipedia or discover the background to Kristallnacht NDR.