The city of Zenica, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has returned the Moorish-style synagogue for the use of the Bosnian Jewish community, in hopes of fostering the historic multicultural identity of the town.
Jakob Finci, the president of the Jewish community of Bosnia-Herzegovina, called the move “wonderful news.”
“The Zenica synagogue is beautiful and our intention is to make not only a Jewish center but also a gallery that will be used for exhibition purposes, ” he told the local news portal zenicainfo.ba.
The decision, taken by a unanimous vote of the city council, came at the initiative of Mayor Fuad Kasumović. He called the move “historic,” but said that while the building will be in the possession of the B-H Jewish community, the city would remain its titular owner, as there was as yet no law of restitution governing such an ownership transfer.
By returning the building, he said in a statement,
we sent a message of unity, given that the decision was made unanimously, but also that Zenica has always been and remains a multiethnic city. The desire of the City Administration of Zenica, headed by me, is to slowly return to ownership everything that belongs to whom.
He added:
I am convinced that the Jewish community in BiH will know how to respect this contribution of ours. I must admit that, because of this decision, I am especially proud of the councilors, who accepted my request and voted unanimously, as well as the entire city of Zenica, which has once again proved its undoubted multiethnic commitment.
About 80 Jews live in Zenica today.
The synagogue, dedicated in 1903 and designed by Miloš Komadina, is a Moorish style building noted for its striped exterior and tall arched windows. It was used as a warehouse after WW2 and fully restored in the 1960s.
It is registered as a historic monument, and has been managed by the Zenica Municipal Museum since 1968. In 2014, the B-H post office issued a stamp with its picture.
Read the announcement on the Zenica city web site