Excavation 2025
Finally: After the members of Muehlhausen’s Builder’s Yard have removed parts of the concrete floor, the excavation in the former synagogue Muehlhausen could start! First, the excavation was carried out by students of Gymnasium Höchstadt under the direction of Britta Ziegler, archaeologist at the Institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology at the University of Bamberg. The project was supported by the program denkmal-aktiv of Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz.
On 28th of July 2025, the excavation was continued by students from the Institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology at the University of Bamberg, again under the supervision of Britta Ziegler.
Here are the news regarding the excavation of Gymnasium Höchstadt.
Here are the news regarding the excavation of the University of Bamberg.
Excavation by Gymnasium Höchstadt
Day 1
10th June 2025: Today the excavation in the former synagogue has started. The first tasks for the students: Cleaning the planum to uncover the borders of the archaeological features. One of the first evidences: At least parts of the stone floor seem to be preserved beneath the concrete floor.
Day 2
11th June 2025
Today the planum was measured by means of a tachymeter:
After this, Britta Ziegler gave the students of Gymnasium Höchstadt instructions for the excavation of the first layers:
For that purpose the stone floor had to be removed and stored in a corner of the building carefully:
In front of the former synagogue, the students sieved the excavated material and scanned it for archaeological finds such as pottery fragments:
Day 3
12th June 2025
The third day of the excavation was very busy. Under the direction of Dr. Wieke de Neef, the Archaeological Prospecting Department (University of Bamberg) scanned a part of the ground in the prayer room as well as the ground in the small alley next to the building. With this method it is possible to visualize structures below the surface on a computer. We are already excited to see the results!
Also present were Julia Krieger and Andrea May from Bezirk Mittelfranken and Dr. Christoph Lobinger and Hans-Christoph Haas from BLfD. Dr. Jochen Ramming from frankonzept also examined the finds.
Despite the hustle and bustle, the excavations in the prayer room continued unperturbedly, and under the watchful eye of Britta Ziegler from AMANZ of the University of Bamberg the students from Gymnasium Höchstadt continued to work in the excavation trench and at the sieving station – due to the sun today in the shadow.
Day 4
13th June 2025
The last day of the workweek was a fairly quiet one. The students of the Gymnasium Höchstadt were again primarily occupied with digging and sieving. In addition, there was also time for a long ice cream break in the shadow.
Today was the last day of excavation for this group of students. Next week, the second group of the P-Seminar will continue the excavations under the direction of Britta Ziegler from the Institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology at the University of Bamberg. Thanks to the hardworking students of the first group for their great work during the Whitsun holidays! The result after four days: The floor level and the base of the Bimah from the first construction phase in 1755/56 have been uncovered!
Day 5
16th June 2025
New week, new team. In the second week of the excavation, the other half of the P-Seminar Urban Archaeology of Gymnasium Höchstadt is now active (due to illness today only in decimated number). Therefore, at first, Christian Plätzer, supervisor of the P-Seminar, and Britta Ziegler, scientific director of the excavation, had to instruct the students into the tasks of an archaeologist. Afterwards, the excavation inside the bima base could be continued.
Finds from the fill include pottery and glass shards, brick fragments, rusted nail fragments, and animal bones.
Furthermore, excavation has begun in a second trench in the area of the present-day barn door.
Day 6
17th June 2025
The sixth day was dedicated to filming, due to the fact that the Bayerischer Rundfunk recorded the excavation. Accordingly, the archaeological activities were closely followed by a camera and a microphone today – whether while sieving, digging, taking photographs, or even pushing a wheelbarrow. The students from Gymnasium Höchstadt as well as Christian Plätzer, supervisor of the P-Seminar, and Britta Ziegler from AMANZ explained the archaeological finds and features.
Save the date: The film will be shown on Wednesday, 18th June 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Frankenschau on BR (BR Television – North). Afterwards, it will be available on the ARD media centre for a limited time.
Day 7
18th June 2025
Today, the excavation was primarily carried out in the area directly behind the barn entrance.
While two students of Gymnasium Höchstadt dug down layer by layer, adopting creative excavation positions, two student sieved the excavated material.
Meanwhile, Britta Ziegler from from AMANZ drew the north section of the trench inside the prayer room.
The excavation was visited today by Ms. Binswanger, coordinator of the project „Netzwerk jüdisches Leben & Erbe in Bayern“ at the Bavarian Landesamt für Heimatpflege, and Mr. Huber on behalf of Dr. Spaenle, the Bavarian State Government’s Commissioner for Jewish Life and Against Anti-Semitism, for Remembrance Work and Historical Heritage. In the afternoon, the local newspapers Fränkischer Tag and Nordbayerische Nachrichten also visited the excavation. So keep an eye out for an article in the coming days!
And for all those who have missed the report on BR today: You can find the report here (in German).
Day 8
20th June 2025
On the final day of the excavation, the students from the P-Seminar of Gymnasium Höchstadt were once again very busy. In the prayer room a cross-section was created, extending to the exterior wall. Being an experienced team, the students managed to excavate the whole section, to sieve the material and to uncover the floor dating from 1755/56 in just one day.
The archaeologists’ work also included measuring the floor level and photographing the findings.
By the way: On Saturday, 28th June 2025, the students of Gymnasium Höchstadt are inviting everyone to an open excavation day at the former synagogue Muehlhausen (Middle Franconia). From 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. they will report about their activities and the excavation results to all interested persons.
Excavation by the University of Bamberg
Since 28th of July 2025, archaeological investigations of the former synagogue Mühlhausen have been continued by students from the University of Bamberg under the supervision of Britta Ziegler from the institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology of the University of Bamberg. The aim of the excavation is to gain knowledge of a possible predecessor building. With the active support of the Mühlhausen building yard staff, several stone slabs that form the floor of the prayer hall from 1756 were removed. Thus, the archaeologists are now able to look back to the time before the building was constructed in 1756.
Day 13
1st August 2025
The third week of the excavation altogether and the first week of the excavation by the University of Bamberg has been completed. Thanks to the diligent work of the students from the Institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology, remains of walls were uncovered below the ground level of 1756. Did they belong to the presumed predecessor building?
Of course, all findings were carefully documented. For this purpose, the sections and surfaces were cleaned, photographed, and drawn (on the photo below on the right side: the drawing frame with the drawn sections).
It is remarkable that the lower layers are becoming increasingly moist. A small puddle of water has even formed in one excavation trench. This clearly illustrates why the floor of the synagogue had to be raised during the renovation work in 1833.
Day 15
5th August 2025
On the 15th day of the excavation, the presumably last bucket of excavated soil was carried out of the former synagogue. In the remaining days, the students of AMANZ will be busy documenting the remaining sections and plana. While Britta Ziegler, the scientific supervisor of the excavation, takes a photo of the last uncovered feature, the students have already begun drawing the sections.
Despite modern technology, the graphic documentation of the archaeological findings is necessary because the trained eye of archaeologists is better able to recognize layer boundaries, materials, discolorations, etc. By this, all special features of the findings can be recorded reliably in the documentation.
Day 18
8th August 2025
Today was the last day of the excavation. While two students from AMANZ are measuring the final points, the other students have nothing left to do and can watch.
Many thanks to excavation engineer Britta Ziegler for her scientific supervision of the four-week archaeological excavation in the former synagogue! Many thanks also to the students from the University of Bamberg for their commitment! Due to their work, the remains of a previous building were discovered, which presumably represents the synagogue from the 17th century. This probably proves that the earlier synagogue was already situated on the same site where the still existing building was erected in 1756. Whether there will be another excavation campaign remains to be seen.
All photos © Kristina Fleischmann