Jews flourished in Maribor in the Middle Ages and Maribor Rabbi Israel Isserlein was renowned throughout Central Europe in the 15th century.

Jews were expelled from Maribor in 1497, and the synagogue was turned into a church in 1501. In the 19th century it was used as a warehouse and later as a dwelling.

City officials want to restore the synagogue for use as a cultural center that would include an information center on local Jewish history. The Slovenian Jewish community today numbers less than 100.