Old Synagogue (Pilsen)
| Old synagogue | |
|---|---|
| Construction time: | 1857-1859 |
| Builder : | W. Wiesner |
| Architect : | Martin Stelzer |
| Architectural style : | Neo-romance |
| Location: | 49 ° 44 '39.5 " N , 13 ° 22' 27.6" E |
| Address: | Smetanovy sady 80/5 301 00 Plzeň Pilsen-Süd , Pilsen , Czech Republic |
| Purpose: | Judaism synagogue |
| Website: | www.zoplzen.cz |
The Old Synagogue ( Stará synagoga in Czech ) in Pilsen ( Czech Republic ) is a synagogue used by the local Jewish community for Jewish worship . It was built between 1857 and 1859 in the neo-Romanesque style. It is protected as one of the cultural monuments in the Czech Republic.
History of construction and use
In 1857, the foundation stone of the Old Synagogue was laid on a back yard of the Jewish community center near Stephansplatz, today's centrally located Smetana Square. The building was erected within two years according to the plans of Martin Stelzer . Due to its location, it was hidden from direct view of the street and offered space for 250 believers. The synagogue was equipped with an organ in 1869, but it is no longer preserved.
Just a few years later it was no longer able to cope with the rush of believers, so that the auxiliary synagogue was built next to it in 1875, which was used as the Jewish school until 1893. The two buildings were connected by a stone staircase that led to the gallery of the Old Synagogue. Today the memorial of the Holocaust victims "Zahrada vzpomínek" (Memorial Garden) is located here. Construction of the Great Synagogue began in 1888 and was completed in 1893. After the community moved to the new church, the old synagogue was used as a storage room, which probably prevented its destruction during the German occupation .
In January 1942, around 2,600 Jews from Pilsen and the surrounding area were deported in three large transports to the Theresienstadt concentration camp and other camps. The Holocaust killed more than 90% of the deportees. Few Jews returned to the city after the end of the war. After the end of the Prague Spring in 1968, another wave of emigration began and the Old Synagogue began to deteriorate.
In the years 2010–2014, the Old Synagogue was extensively restored as part of the ten-star project, which was dedicated to the "revitalization of Jewish monuments" in the Czech Republic ( Czech Revitalizace židovských památek v České republice ). The renovation costs amounted to 31,939,000 CZK (about 1.25 million euros ), the 85% of the European Union were subsidized. Today only a few Jews live in Pilsen (approx. 70 people). The small Jewish community uses the building for their church services. The so-called Schammeshaus (house of the synagogue servant), which today serves as an information center with a cash register, was also renovated . It can also be used for smaller events.
Outdoor area
The neo-Romanesque building has an external staircase on the north side, which serves as an escape route. There is also a leaf hut on the premises .
West side with entrance.
Tabernacle (sukkah).
Entrance to the original mikveh .
inner space
The bima with the Torah shrine is located in the synagogue on the east side. The main hall is enclosed by a two-storey female gallery on wooden posts. The women's gallery now serves as a small museum about Judaism. The Torah shrine was renovated from 2010 to 2014 and decorated with decorative plaster elements. The coffered ceiling is complemented by a multi-armed chandelier. A clock is installed in the western part of the women's gallery.
Looking west to the exit.
View to the east to the Bima and the Torah shrine.
Women's gallery.
Coffered ceiling.
Holocaust Memorial
An auxiliary synagogue was built next to the old synagogue, of which only the foundation walls have been preserved today. The area was transformed into a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust in 2002. The memorial garden consists of stones that have been provided with the names and dates of birth of victims.
Looking west.
Looking east.
sightseeing
The old synagogue and the restored former Schammes house, which today houses the information desk and cash register, are located in a back yard, which can be reached through a passage in Smetanovy sady 80/5 in 301 00 Plzeň 3-Jižní Předměstí. A large green dot on the road indicates the attraction. Viewing is possible all year round from Sunday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The synagogue cannot be visited on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays .
Notice on the street to the entrance.
Passage to the Old Synagogue.
Former Schammes house (today: information with cash desk).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Plzeň (cz), on 10hvezd.cz/
- ↑ Paul Reichenbecher: The History of the Jewish Population in Pilsen , April 4, 2018, accessed on April 29, 2019.
- ↑ The Great Synagogue , on pilsen.eu, accessed on April 29, 2019.
literature
- Max Hoch: History of the Jews in Pilsen , in: Hugo Gold (ed.): The Jews and Jewish communities of Bohemia in the past and present I , Brno / Prague: Jüdischer Buch- u. Kunstverlag, 1934, pp. 479–488.
