Two former synagogues that for decades have been used as Christian churches are for possible sale. They include the synagogue in Kamenice nad Lipou, the last Czech synagogue built before the Holocaust, and the synagogue in Třešť, originally built in the late 17th century and reconstructed in the 1820s.
Both were bought by religious congregations after World War II — that in Kamenice by the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ČCE) in 1949, and that in Třešt’ by the Czech Hussite Church in 1954.
The synagogue in Třešt’ has been used under lease by the city for some years as a cultural space and has permanent exhibitions about Jewish history and the Shoah. Mayor Vladislav Hynk says the city would like to take full possession of the building, a town landmark with its distinctive ground floor arcade.
“It is owned by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, with which we have a lease agreement,” he told Czech Radio Vysočina. “This year we want to continue negotiations with the church. I hope that we will be able to bring them to a state where it would be possible to negotiate or agree on property transfers.”
The synagogue in Kamenice nad Lipou was completed in 1938 and used by its congregation only briefly; Nazi Germany occupied Czech lands in March 1939.
The small, simple building, which was reconstructed in 1990 and conserves a Star of David on its facade, was used as a church until recently. It is now listed for sale as a historic building that can be converted into a family dwelling. The asking price is 2 699 000 crowns (around €110,000).
This property represents an ideal combination of a rich history and current housing options. The original building, built in 1938, underwent reconstruction in 1990 and until recently served the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren as a prayer room. Today it stands ready for the next chapter of its existence, namely the transformation into a modern family house with a 3+kk with a usable area of 80 m2. […] Some of the original architectural elements will be further preserved, creating a home with a unique character.
Watch a video of the building:
A local ČCE parish priest told the news outlet idnes.cz that when the ČCE decided to close the church, it had first contacted the Federation of Jewish Communities.
“They didn’t show interest. So we offered the property to the town of Kamenice, they didn’t want it either,” he said.
In response to the announced sale, there have been calls to preserve the building as a historic cultural monument.
“We consider the impending sale of the building and its conversion to a family house to be an irreplaceable loss of the city,” a petition to city administrators quoted by idnes.cz said. “It can become a living place of education and a center of visits to schools, residents of the region and tourists.”
After World War II, roughly 40 surviving synagogues in what is today the Czech Republic were obtained by Christian denominations, with the consent of Jewish leaders, for use as churches.
Already more than a decade ago, the then executive director of the Czech Federation of Jewish Communities told JHE’s Ruth Ellen Gruber that churches that had been using synagogues for more than half a century had begun turning to the Jewish community saying they could no longer maintain the buildings because of dwindling or disappearing congregations.
Read the Czech Radio article about the sales
See the real estate listing for the Kamenice synagogue
Read idnes.cz article about the Kamenice synagogue sale