White Stork Synagogue
The White Stork Synagogue , in Polish Synagoga pod Białym Bocianem , is the larger of the two reopened Wroclaw synagogues .
Built between 1827 and 1829 by Carl Ferdinand Langhans , it belonged to liberal Judaism until 1872 , then until the November pogroms in 1938 and until 1941 to conservative Judaism . Until the end of World War II , it served as a garage and warehouse for stolen property from Jews. After extensive renovation, the former church was reopened as an event center in May 2010. The White Stork Synagogue, together with the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, form the cultural path of the four temples. The quarter is also called tolerance quarter, four temple quarter or quarter of mutual respect. Within this framework there is a joint program of cultural and educational events, which is supported by the city administration.
History of the White Stork Synagogue
Wroclaw has been shaped in its history by different national affiliations and has always been a place where people from different nations, diverse cultures and denominations live. Wroclaw looks back on over 800 years of city history. So did the city's Jewish population.
After Silesia was conquered by Prussia, the golden age of the German Jews began in Breslau . From 1925 to 1945, the Jewish population of Wroclaw numbered around 23,000 members of the Jewish faith community, including well-known artists, scientists, politicians and merchants. This makes Breslau the third largest Jewish religious community in Germany. Since 1854, Breslau has been the seat of the renowned Jewish theological seminary, where Orthodox and Reformed rabbis met to study and discuss. The presence of the Jews - interrupted by persecution and displacement - was of essential importance for the city and its economic development. For decades, discrimination and isolation could not prevent the complete exclusion of Jews from the political and cultural life of the city. The White Stork Synagogue is a testimony to this history.
First plans to build the synagogue
The ideas for building a synagogue were born in 1790 when the Silesian minister, Count Karl Georg Heinrich von Hoym, proposed the construction of a public synagogue in Wroclaw that would serve the entire Jewish community, while closing all private synagogues and houses of prayer in the City provided. However, the plan was not implemented due to a lack of interest from the Orthodox Jews. It was not until 1820 that the authorities prevailed and forced construction. The private houses of prayer had to close. This increased the ability to control the Jewish community.
The tavern “Zum Weißen Storch”, from which the synagogue probably got its name, used to be on the site of Antonius-Straße 35, on which the synagogue was built. However, there are other sources that say the name was derived from a nearby tannery that belonged to a Storch family. Religious disagreements in the heavily divided Jewish community led to further interruptions in the construction project.
Start of the construction project
In August 1819, the Berlin-based Ministry of the Interior sent on behalf of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. a letter expressly calling for the construction of a large public synagogue and the closure of small houses of prayer without valid concessions. After long consultations and debates, the local council refused to comply with the royal request.
On April 2, 1820, the Jewish community sent a letter to the President of the Police in Wroclaw explaining the reasons for the refusal to comply with the royal request. The problem was the lack of funds for the construction, as well as unregulated issues of Judaism in the constitution, which were announced in the decree of 1812. In response to the letter from the congregation, this time there was an urgent demand that a new synagogue be built within two years.
Soon after, a fundraiser began. 9812 thalers were collected, of which 6777 were donated by the Society of First Brothers and the remainder was donated by members of eight small Orthodox communities supported by Rabbi Solomon Tiktin. However, most of the Orthodox believers were against the construction of the synagogue and did not support it financially. The funds were insufficient to enable construction to begin.
In December 1820, installment sales of seats in the future synagogue were written off, increasing the amount of money used to build the building. Soon afterwards, negotiations began with Jakob Philip Silberstein, a merchant who owned a building plot at number 35 on Antonius-Straße. Construction began on Antonius-Strasse, where the White Storch tavern was previously located - hence the name of the synagogue. In 1819 the architectural plan was also drawn up and accepted by the building authorities.
Due to opposition from the majority of its members, the board of the Jewish community suspended construction of the synagogue in June 1821. This was probably due to too wide a diversity of beliefs and religions and a lack of unity in the Jewish community.
In 1826 the intention to build a large and representative synagogue was revived, this time by the members of the liberal society of the first brothers. The reason for this was probably the expiry of the lease for the Tempel Synagogue in 1817.
Construction work began in 1827 on the property on Antonius Strasse acquired at the end of 1820. The investor was Jakob Philip Silberstein, the owner of the property, a member of the community and possibly also the Society of the First Brothers. From the start of construction until May 1828, the construction work was led by master bricklayer Schindler and, after his death, by master bricklayer Tschoke. The construction manager Thiele supervised the entire work.
The synagogue was officially opened on April 23, 1829, and the first service took place 13 days earlier, on April 10. Since then it has acted as a private synagogue for members of society.
The synagogue was designed by the German architect and building officer Carl Ferdinand Langhans , who was inspired by the Silesian-Prussian sacred architectural style of the 18th century. He is the son of the German architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, who designed the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The first painting decoration comes from Raphael Biow and his son. For a time he was also given the authority to design the synagogue.
From liberal to orthodox
With the construction of the so-called New Synagogue am Anger in 1872, which was to be used as a house of prayer for the rapidly growing liberal community, the once liberal synagogue of the White Stork has now become the main synagogue of the Orthodox Jewish community. However, the White Stork Synagogue must be adapted to the religious conditions of the Orthodox faith. For example, the separation of the sexes had to be ensured during prayer. So three stairwells were created that made it possible to get to the women's galleries. In 1907 Paul and Richard Ehrlich carried out the renovation work. Further changes to the building took place on the occasion of the 100th anniversary. The synagogue was radically modernized. In 1929 the facade was refreshed, central heating was installed and the electrical lighting was renewed.
During the Nazi era
The November pogroms of the National Socialists, especially the so-called Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938, was the only synagogue to remain almost unscathed. The proximity to the surrounding buildings protected the building from complete destruction. The National Socialists feared that a fire would quickly spread to the surrounding buildings and that was not a risk.
The New Synagogue on the Anger, on the other hand, was mercilessly destroyed. The sight of one of the largest synagogues in Europe going up in flames was a profound and deeply painful experience for the Wroclaw Jewish community as well as for many Jews in Europe.
Every year on November 9th there is a memorial march from the synagogue to the White Stork to the memorial plaque, the New Synagogue am Anger. For a long time it was believed that the synagogue had been completely destroyed, but some years ago the remains of the foundation walls were found. In 2019, ambitious and visionary projects emerged that resurrect the New Synagogue as a 3D model and make it accessible on the mobile phone using augmented reality.
During the war the inner courtyard was used as a transshipment point. A transshipment point is a collection point for Jews who were deported from here to the death camps. About half of the Breslau Jews were able to flee Germany before they were arrested. Those who stayed behind perished in the concentration camps. The synagogue was used by the National Socialists as a garage and as a warehouse for the stolen property of Jews.
A Polish synagogue
On August 13, 1945, the Wroclaw Jewish Committee, representing the surviving Polish Jews who settled there after the war, asked the city's mayor, Aleksander Wachniewski, to return the synagogue, which was then occupied by the militia. After the recovery, the committee renovated the building and rebuilt it as a place of worship.
Subsequent waves of Jewish emigration from Poland, discrimination by the communist authorities, and vandalism by “unidentified people” contributed to the gradual deterioration of the building. In the 1960s the synagogue served as a house of prayer and a meeting place for the few Jews still living in Wroclaw. The communist authorities closed the synagogue in 1966, claiming that it was a public danger.
The Israelite Congregation in Wroclaw intervened a year later and was given permission to use the lower part of the synagogue for certain holidays.
Anti-Semitic campaign from 1968
1968 marked another dramatic moment in the history of the Jewish community and its synagogue. The last wave of emigration, sparked by the anti-Semitic campaign by the communist authorities, ended services in the synagogue.
In 1974 the synagogue was confiscated by the government and handed over to the University of Wroclaw, which was converted into a library and lecture halls. Remodeling began in 1976 but was soon abandoned and the building was left to decay. After 1984 it was turned over to the city's Center for Culture and Art, with plans to use it as a venue for artistic performances. The ongoing devastation - mainly caused by two fires - leads to another change of ownership. In 1989 the Wroclaw Music Academy planned to convert the building into a concert hall. Reconstruction stopped shortly after the roof was removed and the abandoned building fell into ruin. It was taken over by a private owner in 1992.
democracy
Despite the political changes in 1989 and the positive attitude of the new, democratic local and national authorities, several years had to pass before the White Stork Synagogue was returned to its rightful owner, the Wroclaw Jewish Community. Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz, the former Metropolitan of Wroclaw, convinced the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to buy the building from its private owner and return it to the reborn Jewish religious community in Wroclaw on April 10, 1996.
One of the first to recognize the historical value of preserving the White Stork Synagogue was Eric F. Bowes, a Wroclaw Jew who sadly passed away before the reconstruction was complete. The first Rosh Hashanah service took place in September 1995 in the destroyed synagogue.
Restoration process
Restoration by the Wrocław Jewish Community
In May 1996, the restoration process began under the direction of Anna Kościuk, the chief architect throughout the period. The focus of the work was the replacement of the roof, which was financed by the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation. Plans for further renovation were based on existing arch illustrations. In 1998 the third phase of the renovation was completed with a donation from KGHM Polska Miedź SA, the Lauder Foundation and the City of Wroclaw.
In November 1998, 60 years after Kristallnacht, a special commemoration was held in the synagogue. The choir of the White Stork Synagogue, led by Stanisław Rybarczyk, sang for the first time on this occasion. Those in attendance were Jerzy Buzek, the former Polish Prime Minister, and Bogdan Zdrojewski, the former Mayor of Breslau. It was the climax of the struggle for the recovery and rescue of the synagogue, led by Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, and Jerzy Kichler, the former chairman of the Jewish community in Wroclaw and also of the Association of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland. Jerzy Kichler's contribution and commitment to the fundamental renovation of the building were decisive. His work was continued together with David Ringel and Anatol Kaszen by the subsequent leaders of the Jewish community, Ignacy Einhorn and his deputy Klara Kołodziejska, as well as Karol Lewkowicz and Józef Kożuch.
The Bente Kahan Foundation
On May 7, 2005, on the initiative of Bente Kahan , a Norwegian-Jewish artist, the Center for Jewish Education and Culture in Wroclaw was opened in the White Stork Synagogue. A year later, Bente Kahan founded the Bente Kahan Foundation together with Maciej Sygit, a socially committed local entrepreneur. The foundation has teamed up with the Jewish community and the city of Wroclaw, as well as the Association of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland, to restore the White Stork synagogue. Further reconstruction was carried out with financial support from the City of Wrocław. From 2006 onwards, the Bente Kahan Foundation has been in charge of the restoration work, which was completed in 2010 with the ceremonial reopening of the synagogue. In 2008, the Bente Kahan Foundation received a grant from the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) to complete the restoration of the historic building and the surrounding courtyard.
The ritual bath restored in 2018 by the Bente Kahan Foundation is unique. Since the restoration, the ritual bath has been carried out by the parishioners. In addition, the mikveh is open to tourists. In addition to changing exhibitions, it offers the permanent exhibition of the Jewish life cycle, which provides information on rituals, holidays and the Jewish calendar, and serves as a special venue for performances and concerts. The new basement now offers space for exhibitions and workshops offered and curated by the Betet Kahan Foundation.
In October 2019, Bente Kahan was awarded the international bridge prize for her tireless work.
"When we tell our story in 2019, 80 years after the end of the Second World War, it is time no longer to say we and them, but rather us, our common heritage", excerpt from the acceptance speech by Bente Kahans - Brückepreis 2019
The lenders justify their decision as follows:
“Through her artistic work, her commitment and her life path as well as her personal charisma, Bente Kahan represents a framework that unites and unites many facets of European culture, religions, ethnicities and currents - including centripetal elements that are currently increasing in presence and perception able to reconcile. In this sense she is one of the exposed bridge builders in Europe. ”, Prof. Dr. Willi Xylander, President of the Society for the Awarding of the International Bridge Prize for 2019
Every year around November 9th, the Foundation's Days of Mutual Respect take place. Numerous events, lectures, workshops and concerts line up here around the march of mutual respect. The march commemorates the destruction of the Jewish heritage on the night of November 9, 1938. It leads from the forecourt of the synagogue to the New Synagogue on the Anger, which was completely burned down during the pogrom night .
Restoration of the mikveh
Before the war there were numerous mikvahs all over Wroclaw, some even in private homes. In 1901 the mikveh was built next to the synagogue at 9 Włodkowica Street. She survived the First World War in pretty good condition. Together with other buildings of the Jewish community and the synagogue of the White Stork and was used again by the Jews from 1945. It served the community until around 1968 and was then confiscated by the communist authorities, as was the synagogue itself. Over time, the mikveh became neglected and at some point even served as a sewer for the apartments in the building above.
The mikvah was returned to the Wroclaw Jewish community in 1997. In 2011 the city of Wroclaw financed the reconstruction of the roof and the pool. In 2017, the Bente Kahan Foundation started restoration work on the cultural heritage with funds from the European Regional Development Fund, the City of Wroclaw and the German-Polish Monument Protection Foundation.
The fully restored historic mikvah reopened on October 13, 2018 and serves both as a ritual bath for the Jewish community in Wroclaw and as a public space that presents the multimedia exhibition Jewish life cycle. The exhibition provides insights into the structure of the mikveh, Jewish holidays and the Jewish calendar on a touch screen .
Restoration of the Shul
The White Stork Synagogue is only used as a house of prayer by the faithful on the major Jewish holidays. On the one hand it serves as a place for exhibitions and cultural exchange and on the other hand as a religious place for the Jewish community and is therefore particularly open to all interested people regardless of belief and origin. In everyday life, a smaller prayer house called Shul and attached to the White Storch synagogue serves as a prayer room for the Jewish community. In 2018 this will be carefully restored and is now the heart of the Jewish community.
architecture
The synagogue was designed by the German architect and building officer Carl Ferdinand Langhans, who was inspired by the Silesian-Prussian sacred architectural style of the 18th century. He is the son of the German architect Carl Gotthard Langhans, who designed the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The first painting decoration comes from Raphael Biow and his son. For a time he was also given the authority to design the synagogue.
The brick-built, oriented and one-room synagogue building was built according to the plan of an elongated rectangle in the classical style with elements of Roman architecture. Only the eastern and southern facades were given a rich architectural framework, the compositional elements of which consist of two flat risalits with Corinthian pilaster portals, which are crowned with triangular gables and tall windows closed with arches. The whole is covered with a flattened, broken roof covered with a blind attic, over which an octagonal lighthouse with a dome dominates.
The interior of the main prayer room, which is lowered in relation to the street, is covered with a trough vault. Surrounded on three sides by reinforced concrete, two-storey, neo-Romanesque galleries for women from 1905. They replaced the previous wooden galleries, which carried 12 pillars and pillars. Outside stairs from 1872, which are located on the west and south sides, lead to them.
On the east wall, in a monumental Serlian arcade, is a richly decorated aron ha-kodesh, above which an oculus is located. Its frame is framed by four pillars on the sides, the capitals of which support a full beam covered with oriental decoration and an attic. The whole thing is crowned with decalogue tables. For many years the remains of the destroyed cloakroom were kept in the Historical Museum in Wrocław. Aron ha-kodesh was originally reached by a staircase with a pulpit in the middle.
Until 1872, the entrance on the south wall was only used during the largest religious ceremonies. They were preceded by steps flanked by two lanterns and covered with a plaque with an unknown Hebrew inscription. Originally the main entrances were on the west wall, central for men and two side entrances for women.
The synagogue is a building of historical value. It was entered in the National Register of Immovable Monuments under number 203 on December 30, 1970.
Web links
- Virtual Shtetl - The White Stork Synagogue (English)
- Website of the Synagoga pod Białym Bocianem
- Wrocław Jewish Community
- http://www.synagogapodbialymbocianem.pl/
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from September 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ 2019 - Bente Kahan. Retrieved December 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Days of Mutual Respect. In: Fundacja Bente Kahan. Retrieved December 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Small synagogue (school), mikveh and cellar. In: Fundacja Bente Kahan. Retrieved December 18, 2019 .
Coordinates: 51 ° 6 ′ 29.5 ″ N , 17 ° 1 ′ 29.5 ″ E