‘Charity, fraternity, harmony’
The Rhineland Lodge in Cologne

Founded in 1888, the Rhineland Lodge inaugurated its house in Cäcilienstrasse, which included a small prayer room and a library, in January 1902.

Under the guiding principles of ‘charity, fraternity, and harmony’, the organisation provided key impulses to strengthen the Jewish community and counteract anti-Semitic tendencies. Ideologically, the Lodge was at first anti-Zionist, opposing the establishment of a Jewish state. This changed, however, with the increasingly threatening situation for German Jews.

The establishment of a home for apprentices encouraged more Jews to opt for a skilled trade. Nurses were also trained here, and work training for jobseekers and holiday facilities for children were set up. The Rhineland Lodge also assisted Jews from other countries living in Cologne.