48.2083 06.721. Bruyeres (meaning briars) is a small Vosgienne city of 3500 inhabitants located halfway between Epinal and Saint-Dié. The town built up around a castle on a hill in the locality in the 6th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish community numbered one hundred, who could build a synagogue dedicated in September 1903, thanks to the generosity of a Parisian banker, Daniel Osiris (1825-1908), This synagogue has a nice facade of pink sandstone inspired by industrial architecture. It served worshippers until 1939. During WWII, the German Army used it as a store. After the end of the war, some Jewish families returned live in Bruyeres. Too few to organize services, they resigned themselves to sell it. The synagogue became a workshop and degraded. Rediscovered as part of its jobs on French synagogues of the 19th century, Dominique Jarrassé became aware of Bruyérois' value. In the Second World War, it was liberated from German occupation by Japanese-American soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In 1990, the municipality acquired it and an association, the Daniel Osiris Association, created a fund to help in its rehabilitation. Thanks to the generosity of a Bruyérois collector, Henry Mathieu (1913-1994), the synagogue became a museum in 1993 which, since 1998, organizes annual remarkable exhibitions of arts and popular traditions. Daniel Osiris Association: Mairie de Bruyères, 88600-Bruyeres, Tél: 03.29.50.14.68 ou 03.29.52.47.03. Mél: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. http://www.ville-bruyeres.fr/ has local information in French. Purportedly, a cemetery exists. [January 2008]
at least 100 graves [January 2009]