The Jewish Gate takes its name from the seal of Solomon engraved on one of the stones of its pedestals. This door may have been the entrance to a house belonging to a person of Jewish conviction or to a hidden place for the practice of Jewish worship.
It is however probable that it gave access to the Jewish quarter of Thonon-les-Bains. This would have been built around 1440 in accordance with the will of the States General of Savoy who had assigned to the Jews, at the beginning of the 14th century, a specific quarter in each town with the obligation to pay an annual surtax.
The Jewish colony had already been established in Thonon for a very long time, but the local archives do not specify whether they had to wear the rouelle (yellow cloth medallion) and the pointed hat as Saint-Louis had imposed in France in 1269.
This door had been removed in 1981 during the demolition of the old districts of Thonon-les-Bains for the creation of the Urban Renovation.
The Municipality of Thonon decided to undertake the reconstruction of this building in 1996, in order to preserve the memory of a past thonaise life. It was thus treated as a memorial and implanted a few meters from its original location.
The Jewish colony had already been established in Thonon for a very long time, but the local archives do not specify whether they had to wear the rouelle (yellow cloth medallion) and the pointed hat as Saint-Louis had imposed in France in 1269.
This door had been removed in 1981 during the demolition of the old districts of Thonon-les-Bains for the creation of the Urban Renovation.
The Municipality of Thonon decided to undertake the reconstruction of this building in 1996, in order to preserve the memory of a past thonaise life. It was thus treated as a memorial and implanted a few meters from its original location.
