Synagogue (Aizpute Culture House)
In 1751, one of the first Jewish communities in Kurzeme was established in Aizpute. After 1795, when Piltene State together with the whole of Kurzemi was annexed to Russia, there were very few inhabitants in Aizpute, so the government imported Jews from Lithuania. Their number grew rapidly and, of course, they needed their own synagogue - in 1881, more than a third of the population were Jews. In 1751, the first synagogue was built in Aizpute, which is currently the oldest existing synagogue. The Small Synagogue was built next to it in 1875. Tragic events took place in 1941, when all the Jews living in Aizpute were gathered in the synagogue, they were taken with heavy vehicles towards Kalvenes and killed. There are reports that around 500 Jews were shot, the youngest was only 8 months old, the oldest was 94 years old.
The building functioned as a synagogue until the end of World War II. In 1950, the synagogues were connected in one building and now the Aizpute Culture House is located here.