(JHE) — A former synagogue in Prostějov is no longer listed for open sale, and the owners again want to sell it to the city, according to local media.
In March, we posted that the synagogue, which dates from around 1836 and is listed as a cultural monument, was for sale on a real estate site for a bit more than €210,000.
Local media now reports that the synagogue has disappeared from the real estate web site and “the owners of the dilapidated building are now again offering it to the city, which previously refused to buy it due to the high price.”
The building served as a bet midrash and then the town’s main synagogue until World War II. After the war, and the destruction of the local Jewish community, it was used as a warehouse and then as an Orthodox church, which in turn sold it to private owners . It has stood empty for years.
Already more than a year ago, according to local media, the private owners had attempted to sell the building to the city for a higher price, and then rejected a much lower bid from the city.
The news site hanacka.drbna.cz this week quoted Jindřich Skácel, whom it identified as the owner of the building, as saying: “Two months ago, we attended a meeting with the mayor. Our goal is to sell the synagogue, preferably to the city. We have renovated three houses around it and we no longer have any further investments for repairs. We agreed that we will meet again in September and discuss specifically what would could be done on the part of the city.”
The news site said the mayor confirmed the meeting but said no decision had yet been made.