Two villages, one history – and many open doors

Doppeltür isn’t a display behind glass in a museum. It’s an invitation to conversation – about the coexistence of different cultures, and about religion, belonging and respect. Doppeltür provides insight into the extraordinary history of the Surbtal – and helps answer questions that we continue to ask ourselves today.

Doppeltür has three core components:

• the Doppeltür Centre (scheduled to open in 2028)
• the restored mikveh in Endingen
• four school modules for upper secondary school developed in tandem with the Teacher Education College of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), one of which was developed jointly with the Baden Historical Museum
• the Jewish Cultural Trail

How it all began 

Endingen and Lengnau feature a heritage that is unique in Switzerland. For centuries, Jews lived literally side-by-side with Christians – a coexistence that is still reflected today in the two villages’ architecture, cultural features and personal histories.

For a long time, it was up to dedicated individuals to preserve this special history. One of them was publisher and publicist Roy Oppenheim. On his initiative, the Jewish Cultural Trail was created in 2009, a walking guided tour that brings life to Jewish-Christian coexistence.

A turning point came in 2013. When the former matzo bakery building in Lengnau was demolished in spite of protests, it was a wake-up call. And it spurred committed people from the political, cultural and civil society worlds into action. This led to the founding of the Doppeltür Association in 2017.

Its goal: to preserve the Jewish heritage in the Surbtal, make it accessible, and carry it into the future.

And because the future begins at school, Doppeltür brings history to a place where young people ask questions: the classroom, with materials that not only inform but make them think and inspire further reflection.