The Israelitische Alters- und Pflegeheim in Lengnau has been in
existence for over 110 years, and the present direction continues to
carry on this tradition successfully and with pride. It is well known
that the Israelitische Alters- und Pflegeheim in the Surb Valley was
established in 1903, thanks to a generous donation by the
Copper-Guggenheims in the US. In 1848, the Meyer-Guggenheim family,
living in poverty at the time, emigrated from Lengnau to the US. The
Guggenheims still spoke their own mix of Swiss German and “Surbtaler”
Yiddish well into the 20th century, and continued to send their
offspring to Switzerland. By the late 19th century the Lengnau
Guggenheims were one of the wealthiest families in the United States.
Their donation in
1903 was not the only one; support to Lengnau in Aargau from the US came
frequently during and after the Second World War — often in adventurous
ways. Relations with the internationally active Solomon R. Guggenheim
Foundation in New York still exist to this day. The Israelitische
Alters- und Pflegeheim in Lengnau is also an important part of the
“Jüdischer Kulturweg Lengnau-Endingen”, established in 2009 by former
Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss.
