Just four months after celebrations marked the 150th anniversary of the orthodox synagogue in Miskolc, Hungary, threats to the building’s structural integrity due to the subsidence of the foundation have forced closure of the building.
Today, October 6, was the last time that the public was able to visit the synagogue for the foreseeable future.
An article on the web site of the Hungarian Jewish umbrella organization Mazsihisz states that the Miskolc Jewish community had tried to obtain funding for repair work from the state and local government and also the EU, and had sent out “hundreds” of letters internationally seeking aid, but without result.
Built between 1856 and 1863, the synagogue was designed by Ludwig von Forster, the same architect who designed the great Dohany St. synagogue in Budapest. Its rather austere facade hides opulent interior decoration. Graceful columns support lovely vaulting, and walls and ceiling are completely covered by elaborate Moorish-style geometric designs.
1 comment on “Threats to structure force closure of Miskolc, Hungary synagogue”
I live and work in San Diego, California where the focus of my work is with respect to forensic architecture. Essentially I assist in construction failure related matters with determining the cause and extent of the failure and developing a scope of repair as well as overseeing this repair.
Some of my work ends up bering embroiled in litigation, but in essence I prefer to provide workable solutions for the providing repair mechanisms.
In this instance there are a few questions that come to mind as follows:
With regard to how the differential settlement – how was this initially identified?
How is it being monitored?
What is the repair methodology that is being investigated?
What work was done to the building during the renovation process that might have led to the issue arising?