We posted a couple of weeks ago — sight unseen — about the painstaking (and impressive) restoration of the long-derelict synagogue in Budyně nad Ohří, a small town around 50 km north of Prague, near the Terezin Memorial. The restoration began in 2019 and has just been completed — click here to read about it.
The city owns the building and carried out the restoration, with around 90 percent financing from the EEA/Norway funds.
The synagogue, which will serve both cultural and religious purposes, will open to the public this spring, but JHE’s Ruth Ellen Gruber got a chance to visit it this week, guided by Mayor Petr Kindl.
Here are some more detailed photos of the restored building — now one of the town’s three standout attractions, along with the church and historic castle. Mayor Kindl confirmed that, once the synagogue is open, the town will work with the Terezin Memorial and the Federation of Jewish Communities to manage it for visitors, as a sort of “triangle” with the Memorial and the castle.
Click here to read our January post about the restoration
Web site of the synagogue and restoration project, with photo galleries documenting the process
The City web page with details of the restoration plan, etc
PS — Budyně nad Ohří also has a Jewish cemetery, located in the middle of a cabbage field near the Christian cemetery. At the moment it cannot be visited as — we were told — the key was stolen!
Here’s a peek through the keyhole some years ago (today you can’t see anything)
PPS — here’s an image of the castle.
