Nazi and Soviet devastation: archaeologists uncover the history behind the floor of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius

The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, Lithuania, was built between 1630 and 1633, on the site of a synagogue built in 1572, which in turn was used to house a Jewish house of prayer in 1440. 

It was burned during the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, between 1941 and 1944, later razed by the Soviet authorities, who governed Lithuania from the end of the Second World War until 1990, and finally demolished between 1955 and 1957.

Recently, a group of archaeologists managed to unearth parts of the floor of the synagogue. The study of these remains allowed us to have a greater understanding of the magnitude of the destruction suffered by this synagogue at the hands of the Nazi oppressors, and also by the Soviets in the 20th century. 

Jon Seligman and Justinas Rakas, the directors of the excavation, explained that “the architectural richness and vitality we found—along with the destruction of impressive giant columns that collapsed during the destruction of the synagogue by the Nazis and Soviets—tell the tragic story of a community that lived here and that no longer exists.”