The Chemnitz mikvah, a ritual Jewish bath discovered during excavations in 2022, is once again carefully preserved in the basement of a new commercial building in the city center. However, the State Museum of Archaeology is now bringing the sensational find back to life in an exhibition for interested visitors. At the heart of the show is a colorized 3D model of the mikvah, which is said to have been used from the late 17th to the 18th century.
"It is the only preserved Jewish archaeological monument that we have in Saxony," explains Rebecca Wegener from the State Office for Archaeology.
The experts were amazed by the find, as it was forbidden for Jews to settle in this country at the time. In 1349, the entire Jewish population in Saxony was murdered and expelled during pogroms. According to the experts, it was only from 1868 onwards that Jews were able to live in Saxony again and practice their faith openly.
