At the lower end of Läppchen (still commonly referred to as “Judengasse” or “Jewish Alley”) was the Jewish synagogue. It was closed shortly before World War I. During renovation work on the building next door, a filled-in well was discovered, suggesting the remains of a Jewish bath, a mikveh. Between 1700 and 1900, there was a strong Jewish community in Eßweiler. It was only when industrialization began and better opportunities arose in the cities that the Jewish community in Eßweiler began to decline. Many Jewish residents moved to the cities or emigrated to the large cities of North America after the famine years between 1847 and 1854.
