The Jewish community consecrated the small synagogue in 1840. However, it was only used as a place of worship for 44 years, until 1884, as the community grew considerably in the 19th century. They built the Great Synagogue on today's Juri-Gagarin-Ring and sold the Small Synagogue to a merchant. The house served him as a warehouse and production building. In 1918, the city built apartments. In the 1980s, interest in the Jewish heritage grew, so the city had the building history of the synagogue researched and the building renovated. Researchers found the mikvah, the Torah shrine and the women's gallery. As a result, the prayer hall is now in almost its original state. Today, the Little Synagogue serves as a multicultural meeting place that is particularly committed to German-Jewish understanding. It also houses an exhibition on Jewish life in Erfurt in the 19th and 20th centuries.