Via Sancti Martin

The first written records of the Jews of Sopron date back to the 13th century, when 10-16 families lived on Jewish Street. They were not allowed to buy houses in other streets of the city, but here they lived in mixed housing with Christians. They were mainly engaged in trade and finance, and although none of them made any great wealth, they built this early Gothic synagogue, almost unique in Central Europe, around 1300. According to the regulations of the time, the synagogue could not stand in the street line, so there is a courtyard in front of it. The courtyard was used to adjudicate disputes and to do business with Christians.

 
In 1440, I Elisabeth Queen Dowager of Luxembourg created the first ghetto in Sopron. At the same time, Jewish Street was renamed New Street - the name it still bears today.

In 1526, the city's population accused the Jews of collaborating with the Turks, and they were expelled from Sopron.

The building was sold in 1530 to Georg Lang, referred to in some documents as Wasserpauch, under pressure from the town, and then to Sebastian Mayr in 1551. The synagogue fell into ruin, and was later converted into residential buildings and built around. Its memory has survived for a long time: the building at 22 Új utca is still referred to as a 'Jewish temple' (Judentempel) in the will of master locksmith Joseph Perathoner in 1792.

The remains of the Old Synagogue, now standing in the courtyard of two late medieval buildings, were excavated in 1967 and what could be restored has been.