Hungary: The wonderful 19th synagogue in Kőszeg is opening to the public after a 2-year renovation, with an exhibition about Philip Schey, the Hapsburg Jewish baron who funded its construction

(JHE) — After years of false starts and failed attempts, the long-derelict 19th century synagogue in Kőszeg, western Hungary, is reopening to the public after a full-scale renovation that took place over the past two years. The synagogue, which is owned by the state, will become a cultural centre but also will be able to be used for religious services.

JHE’s Ruth Ellen Gruber is on the program of its first public event, Sunday August 28-29 — the opening of an exhibition about Philip (Fülöp) Schey (1798-1881), a Jewish philanthropist born in Kőszeg (known in German as Güns), who had grown rich as a textile merchant and later became a banker for the Hapsburgs. In 1859, Emperor Franz Joseph raised Schey to the Hungarian nobility — he was the first Jew to receive this honor and took the title Philip Schey von Koromla.

Schey financed the construction of the synagogue complex in 1856-59 — it includes the Rabbi’s house, courtyard, garden, and fence. His role is stressed several times at the synagogue with inscriptions or plaques — including one on the interior of the dome, in the photo above. And on the facade, below the Ten Commandments:

The exhibit opening Sunday is called “A Kőszeg Success Story: the Schey Family,” and it presents Philip Schey’s family, life and work: his economic and philanthropic activities, as well as his founding of institutions.

It begins at 3 p.m. and is organized by iAsk — the Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg, which has played a role in the restoration of the building. The opening is part of a two-day series of events, “Synagogue Week in Kőszeg,” including concerts, lectures, guided tours, and book presentations. The initiative is connected to (but not part of) a “Synagogue Week” in Budapest and Debrecen, organized by the Chabad-associated EMIH Jewish organization.

Ruth, who has made periodic visits to the synagogue since 1990,  is on a round-table panel at the opening Sunday discussing “The past, present and future of synagogues in Hungary,” moderated by Attila Pók, a permanent scholar at iASK who is the deputy director of the Institute of History at the Research Centre for Humanities at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. 

The other participants are Johannes Reiss, Director of the Austrian Jewish Museum, Eisenstadt; historian Mónika Mátay, a researcher at iASK; Ferenc Olti, President of the Jewish House of Excellence in Balatonfured; and senior researcher Edit Szántóné Balázs, head of the iASK Jewish history research group.

One year ago, after visiting the synagogue while it was under restoration, Johannes Reiss and Ruth paid homage at Schey’s grave in the Jewish cemetery in nearby Lackenbach, Austria, just across the border.

Schey’s tomb  is relatively modest, given his stature — a raised rectangular black marble mausoleum, surmounted by a roof supported by four red stone columns. It has epitaphs and inscriptions in both Hebrew and German.

Built in 1856-59, the synagogue is a distinctive structure with two crenellated towers flanking the main part of the building, a sort of upright cylinder with a flat dome.

The interior has a recessed Ark, a Bimah is set off by a wrought iron grille; and a women’s gallery, set on slim iron pillars. Delicate paintings cover the ceiling.

Of the 109 Jews living in Kőszeg in 1941, only 7 are believed to have survived the Shoah; they left the city in the years following WWII. The synagogue stood empty and in decaying condition for decades, despite sporadic attempts to restore it.

From 1944 to 1996, it was owned by the state, and afterwards it was bought by a private investor who wanted to establish an Irish pub in it. This project failed, and in 2004, the synagogue was auctioned again, but none of its new owners carried out renovation works. 

The building came under state ownership again 2016, and the state  reportedly allocated 649.745.697 forints (around €1,784,490), for the restoration of the synagogue complex.

The restoration was carried out within the framework of the KRAFT program,  a regional development program that includes economic, municipal and academic actors that work together for the development of small and medium-sized cities. iASK coordinates activities in its KRAFT center.

It included a complete restoration of the exterior — where all the original stucco had fallen away over the decades — as well as a full restoration of the delicate frescoes and other decorative elements in the interior, including the large Star of David over the Ark. The Rabbi’s house and other buildings in the complex were also restored, as was the courtyard and grounds.

Ruth visited the synagogue in June, to examine the restored complex.

Here are some images.

 

Read our September 2021 post about the synagogue restoration under way

Read our October 2020 post about restoration work getting started (with “before” pictures)

Watch the the “Synagogue for Sale” documentary film about failed attempts to restore the synagogue on vimeo (with English subtitles):