Synagogue (Aizpute Cultural Center)
In 1751, one of the first Jewish communities in Courland was established in Aizpute. After 1795, when the Piltene district 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 place of worship. By 1881, more than a third of the population was Jewish. In 1751, the first synagogue was built in Aizpute, which is now the oldest of the existing synagogues. Next to it, in 1875, the Small Synagogue was built. Tragic events took place in 1941 when all the Jews living in Aizpute were gathered in the synagogue, then taken by trucks to the Kalvene area and murdered. It is reported that around 500 Jews were shot, the youngest being just 8 months old, and the oldest 94 years old.
The building functioned as a synagogue until the end of World War II. In 1950, the two synagogues were combined into one building, and today it houses the Aizpute Cultural Center.