In 1349, many people died from the Black Death disease. People said it was the fault of the Jews. The Jews were murdered and made to leave the city. This pogrom is known as the Erfurt Massacre. The synagogue was damaged and Erfurt City Council took control of the building. They later sold it to a local business man. He used it as a warehouse and made changes to the interior, including building a cellar. For the next 500 years it was used for storing goods. 