There is some hope for the preservation of the elegant but long-derelict neoclassical synagogue in the town of Abony. The city has taken over its management and — pending funding — hopes to restore it as a cultural space.
Last month, Abony Mayor Zsolt Pető signed an agreement with the chairman of the synagogue’s owner, the Foundation for the Abony Synagogue, placing the building placed under long-term municipal management. One of the key points of the agreement was to ensure that the municipality is entitled to tender funds for the work.
Built in 1825, the synagogue was designed by András Landherr, who also designed the synagogue in the Obuda section of Budapest. Its facade is noted for the four-column Corinthian portico under a monumental gable. The building has long stood derelict. Some traces of the interior wall and ceiling paintings remain.
The town council “is considering a concept that would create a modern community and cultural space while respecting the sacred past of the building,” Pető said in a statement on the city’s web site.
According to these plans, he said, “the renovated synagogue would host exhibitions, classical music concerts and city events, thus becoming another jewel of Abony’s cultural tourism (similar to the mansions that have already been successfully renovated in the city).”
However, he said, the city lacks the funds to finance “such a large-scale monument protection” alone. It has thus, he said, established “close cooperation” with Hungary’s main Jewish umbrella organization Mazsihisz (the Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities), and heritage protection experts.
The agreement to take over the management of the synagogue is the culmination of discussions formally begun two years ago, when Pető met with the president of Mazsihisz and the president of the Synagogue Foundation.
During that meeting, in April 2024, Pető said in a Facebook post, “it was stated that the Foundation is not able to renovate the building independently, cannot apply for a tender, and does not have any relevant experience. During the meeting, I suggested that in order to carry out the reconstruction of the synagogue in Abony, it would be advisable to transfer the building from foundation ownership to municipal ownership. Prof. dr. Andor Grósz, president of MAZSIHISZ, agreed, but the representatives of the foundation also considered my suggestion a possible solution. At the end of the meeting, we agreed that the Foundation would review the legal background and options.”
Read Pető’s statement announcing the agreement