Historic mikvah
The Saxony State Office for Archaeology carried out a rescue excavation in preparation for the construction of the "Neue Johannisvorstadt". First, the well-preserved cellar walls of the "Goldner Anker" inn were uncovered and then, in February 2022, an unexpected discovery was made: the remains of a mikvah. It was built between the 15th and 18th centuries, precisely in those centuries in which there was probably no Jewish settlement in Chemnitz. This discovery therefore came as a great surprise to historians, but it is also significant for archaeologists, as no old cellar mikvah was previously known in Saxony. The national and international response to this discovery was correspondingly great.
The anteroom, the short staircase, the elaborately designed plunge pool for a cellar room, the water reservoir and the passageway in between - all of this not only fits in with other cellar mikvahs, but the construction and dimensions are also largely in line with the ritual regulations.
The mikvah dates from a time when it was actually forbidden for Jews to settle in Saxony (with the exception of Leipzig and Dresden). This obvious contradiction is now occupying historians and they are tracing Jewish traces in old Chemnitz. In 1766, for example, three Jewish entrepreneurs from Moravia were allowed to set up a potash production facility here and settle down with their families.
Perhaps the mikvah was intended for Jewish merchants travelling through from Bohemia and Moravia. If they wanted to visit the Leipzig trade fair, they were only allowed to take a fixed route and had to pay customs duties and escort in Chemnitz.
The historic mikvah is currently encased in a protective concrete shell to protect it from damage during the construction work. It will remain in place for several years afterwards, as the fragile monument needs to be monitored. Its thin brick walls have been half submerged in groundwater for centuries (due to their function) - but no one can predict how the groundwater level will develop and how the old bricks and mortar will react to a change in the situation. Only after years of observation can a well-founded and responsible decision be made as to whether and how the mikvah can be shown to the public without damaging it.
This period of waiting harbours the great danger that the discovery of the mikvah will disappear from the public consciousness. For this reason, the Mikveh Chemnitz working group regularly organises events and exhibitions and the website "mikwe-chemnitz.de" provides information about the background. A tactile model of the old Johannisvorstadt, an information stele and a virtual twin of the mikvah are also planned. The aim is to make this hidden treasure accessible to visitors in the year of the Capital of Culture.
Makers of the Week interview with Dr Thomas Schuler from the AG Mikwe
In the Macher der Woche interview, Dr Thomas Schuler from the AG Mikwe explains why the Chemnitz find is so important and what guests can expect from the exhibition. more
Further information
The old and the new Johannnisvorstadt
During reconstruction after the Second World War, a completely different street layout was created here; it is marked with grey stripes for orientation. The planned squares of the "Neue Johannisvorstadt" are indicated in light grey. The northernmost, the Johanniskarree, is already under construction, the others are still at the planning stage.