The Jewish community of Erfurt first appears in the historical record in the late 11th century, with the earliest recorded building of the synagogue dating from then. For centuries Jews and Christians lived side by side in the centre of town. There is more detailed evidence from the 13th century. We learn from tax lists and deeds that Erfurt Jews worked in banking, and dealt not only with local towns and aristocrats, but had business relationships across the Holy Roman Empire.
Here they lived in close proximity with Christian merchants and here stood their representative synagogue. Close by was a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath. The cemetery was outside the residential area at Moritztor. Eminent scholars lived and taught in Erfurt. Evidence for the developed intellectual life are 15 Hebrew manuscripts that belong today to the Berlin State Library.
The wave of Jewish persecutions, reached Erfurt in March During the pogrom on 21 March the whole Jewish community of Erfurt was destroyed and up to people died. A merchant subsequently converted the Old Synagogue into a storehouse. A short time later, probably from , Jews became resident in Erfurt again. The Erfurt Council had a synagogue built behind the town hall between and for the new community.
There were also in this second settlement some very wealthy and influential families who worked in overseas trade and finance. Numerous poorer Jews lived from pawn broking, trading and the manufacture of shofars. In the 15th century anti-Jewish sentiment was growing in Erfurt. In the municipal council revoked the protection of the Jews, and all Jews left the town around this time.
Since the year Jews were no longer tolerated in Erfurt. The Jewish dwellings were sold, the synagogue was converted into an armoury and the cemetery was razed. There was no established Jewish community in Erfurt between the expulsion by the council in and the Napoleonic Wars.
