The abandoned synagogue building in Kobrin went back on the auction block November 13 — for a much reduced asking price of around €63,000.
But according to the auction web site, the auction did not take place because of lack of participants.
It went on auction last May, to to pay off the debts of the owner, the Zhilstroykomplekt company, but it failed to make the asking price of around €165,000.
The grand masonry synagogue — one of the largest in Belarus – dates from the 19th century (though a detailed description on the Center for Jewish Art web site, says it dates from the 18th century).
During WW2, almost all of Kobin’s Jews were killed after the Germans occupied the town in 1941. After the war, the building was used for grain storage and then as a facility making beer and soft drinks.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it passed to the ownership of the city and the local history museum in 1996, and in 2004 to the tiny post-USSR Jewish community. There were plans by the city to restore it as a Jewish cultural and memorial center, but these never materialized. The building eventually passed into the private ownership of Zhilstroykomplekt and has stood empty and in deteriorating condition for years — as shown by the photos on the e-auction web site.
The synagogue has the status of historical and cultural heritage, so any restoration work will require the approval of the Belarus Ministry of Culture.
Access the e-auction web site entry
Read a description of the synagogue on Center for Jewish Art