Hietzinger Synagoge

The Hietzinger synagogue, also New World synagogue called, was a club synagogue in the 13th district of Vienna Hietzing.

Location

History

In 1904 existed in the time belonging to Hietzing Penzinger road 132 a permanent prayer house with 130 seats of the Temple Association Hietzing. However, since the building was too small, the association proposed the relocation to a larger building. A planned architectural competition, however, came not materialize due to the outbreak of the First World War. In the 20's finally an international competition was announced. The winner was a native of Austria architect Arthur Gruen Berger, who in 1923 emigrated to the United States, in cooperation with Adolf Jelletz, in a similar design by Hugo Gorge. Third was the architect Fritz Landauer with a conservative design. A disregarded remaining draft also provided Richard Neutra. Gruen Berger's plan was finally implemented 1924-1926, a final completion, however, was not achieved until 1931. Rabbi was Moses Lewin, chief cantor Salomon unicorn.

The synagogue was destroyed by arson during the pogroms of November 1938.

Architecture

The synagogue Hietzing was the only free-standing synagogue, built in Vienna in the interwar period and one of the most important expressionist buildings of that time. The cubic structure with a flat roof was fitted with a stylized battlements, which gave the building a romanisierendes appearance reminiscent of the fortress synagogues of the 17th century in Podolia and Volhynia. The shape of the five windows on the main facade above the entrance is a variation of David shield: the one with the tip pointing down triangle is replaced by a floral shape with three semicircles.

Commemoration

For a long time remembers a copper plate in the Eitelbergergasse 22 at the former synagogue. At the request of a green district politician a private memorial was stimulated. The folk high school Hietzing implemented during 2004 in the New World Gasse 9 a clearly visible monument called point to. A plexiglass stele of the artist Hans Kupelwieser shows an image of the destroyed synagogue.