During the siege of Mainz in 1793, the synagogue was heavily damaged, but the repairs took 25 years. In the Night of Broken Glass in 1938, National Socialists looted and desecrated the building, but did not set it on fire to protect neighboring houses. In 1940, the synagogue and its property were sold under duress and later used as a shed and chicken coop.
The significance of the synagogue was forgotten until the exhibition "Jews in Mainz" brought it back to public consciousness in 1978. The hidden building was placed under monument protection, transferred to the city of Mainz, and restored by the support association established in 1993. The official inauguration took place on May 27, 1996.
Particularly noteworthy are the mikvehs (ritual baths) discovered in the courtyard from various eras – from the Baroque period and the mid-19th century – which make the Weisenau synagogue unique in Germany.
