Lengnau Schoolhouse: from classroom to community centre

The foundations of today’s community centre have been in place since 1842. However, the building has been repurposed repeatedly over the decades as it adapted to the needs of the time. 

Classes started out in a living room

In 1830, Aargau canton opened a new chapter in education: Hebrew private schools were abolished, and Jewish children were thenceforth required to attend public schools. They continued to be taught separately, but no longer at private schools. Classes were initially housed temporarily in the community centre, but space soon ran out. As a result, a new primary school building was built in 1842, designed by Johann Jakob Schmid, a builder from Zurzach, Switzerland.

Together, under one roof

In 1842, the first lessons were held in four classrooms of the new building. About 50 years later, the Aargau canton merged the Jewish and Christian schools, and the local community assumed ownership of the building. 

Class dismissed and building repurposed

Over time, the building became too small for the school, and a new, larger village schoolhouse took over the main classes. The old building was used for cooking and handicraft classes and also as an association gathering place until it was converted into a community house in 1982.