Antwerp’s monumental so-called “Dutch Synagogue” (Hollandse Synagoge) reopened this summer after a full-scale restoration that began in 2017. It will be used to serve its congregation, but also may be developed for tourism.
Designed by Joseph Hertogs and inaugurated in 1893, the synagogue is situated in the southern part of the city and was founded by descendants of Jews who came to Antwerp from the Netherlands in the early 19th century. For this reason, it is commonly known as the “Dutch Synagogue.”
A striking example of a Moorish-style synagogue, it has an impressive striped facade featuring a rose window within a massive arch, flanked by two square domed towers. The richly decorated interior includes a three-aisled sanctuary, with the women’s gallery on three sides.
The synagogue is home to the Shomre HaDas orthodox congregation and since 1976 has been a protected monument.
The official rededication ceremony June 26 saw the participation of various civil and religious authorities, including Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden, Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon, Provincial Governor Cathy Berx, and the Catholic bishop Johan Bonny.
Interviewed by the local media outlet gva.be, Antwerp municipal counselor André Gantman, who organized the ceremony on behalf of the Jewish community, said, “This is a protected monument. The city is thinking about including the synagogue within the Antwerp museums. Exactly how that will work remains to be seen, but it will certainly happen. If a tourist can visit the cathedral, why not a synagogue?”
Full-scale restoration work started in 2017 after the Shomre HaDas congregation received state funds in 2016. The synagogue had already been closed to the public since 2013 when part of the ceiling collapsed due to water infiltration.
The synagogue had major foundation issues. Part of the building was built on wooden pillars, and when the neighborhood where it is located started to be fully redeveloped in the 2000s, the synagogue’s foundations began to collapse. The wooden posts had rotted due to groundwater seepage, and the synagogue ran the risk of splitting in two due to the instability of the foundation.
The Steenmeijer architectural firm, in cooperation with Jan Van Aelst Stability engineers, oversaw the restoration work. During the first phase, they treated the instability of the foundation by placing new underground support beams.After the building was stabilized, the synagogue’s flooring was replaced, and the restoration of the synagogue’s exterior began. This included restoration of the facade, the stained-glass windows, and the roof.
The last phase consisted of the restoration of the interior. The original color of the internal mural decorations was discovered during the renovation, and it was possible to recreate the original color inside.[7] A new heating and electric system were also installed.
The renovation work cost around €2,6 million, financed by the Flemish government. The first €2,5 million grant was allocated in 2016, a year before the work started, while a second grant of €70,299.74 was assigned to complete the interior renovation. The first grant was part of a €4 million grant allocated by the Flemish government to restore two synagogues in Antwerp: The Shomre HaDas, and the Art-Nouveau Machsike Hadass synagogue, which received €1,643,000.
During World War II, the synagogue was damaged, mainly in the interior, but it was fully restored in 1958.
See a Facebook post, with many pictures, of the inauguration ceremony