Synagogue (Aizpute Culture House)
In 1751, one of the first Jewish communities in Courland was established in Aizpute. After 1795, when the Piltene estates and all of Courland were annexed by Russia, Aizpute had very few residents, so the government allowed Jews from Lithuania to settle there. Their numbers quickly grew, and naturally, they needed their own house of worship. By 1881, more than a third of the population were Jews. The first synagogue in Aizpute was built in 1751 and is currently the oldest existing synagogue. Next to it, the Small Synagogue was constructed in 1875. Tragic events occurred in 1941, when all the Jews living in Aizpute were gathered in the synagogue, loaded onto trucks, and taken towards Kalvene, where they were killed. Reports say that about 500 Jews were shot, the youngest being only 8 months old, and the oldest was 94 years old.
The building served as a synagogue until the end of World War II. In 1950, the two synagogues were merged into one building, and today it houses the Aizpute Culture House.