Polnische Schul

The synagogue in Leopoldgasse also called Polish School, was a 1892/93 and 1938 built in November pogrom destroyed Orthodox synagogue in the Leopoldgasse 29 in the 2nd district of Vienna. The synagogue was built for the Polish Jewish community in Vienna by the Association Beth Israel ( House of Israel ) and followed the Polish-Jewish rite.

The synagogue completed according to the plans of the Jewish Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny as a three-nave system with galleries in oriental style counted 420 men and 217 women seats. Your striking feature was the central onion dome.

History

At its meeting of 17 December 1888, the board of the association, founded about 1852 Beth Israel decided to build a synagogue for 750 people as a substitute for the Betlokal the municipality in the Upper Danube street. In March 1892, the committee formed for this purpose decided on the purchase of land No. 29 in the Leopoldgasse - formerly the western boundary of the Jewish ghetto - in the 2nd district of Vienna. The money for the building was was donated by also of the Board of the Jewish Community Vienna collections and donations of club members, but and through a lottery, for the Emperor Franz Joseph the jackpot, a silver coffee service for six people in the style of Louis XIV, laboriously compiled. The construction costs amounted to 75766.93 guilders.

With the planning of the construction of the Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny had been commissioned, who was also honorary president of the building committee at the same time. The plans were approved on 8 June 1892 the foundation stone was laid on March 5, 1893 the final stone was laid and solemn inauguration on September 8, 1893 instead.

1926, the synagogue was rebuilt and completed by a library and an anteroom.

In 1938 the Association's assets Beth Israel in the Jewish Community ( ICG ) Vienna. During the Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938, the synagogue was vandalized, 1943, the land was purchased by the company Hollindia trading company. In December 1950, it passed again to the ownership of the Jewish Community, who sold it in 1958. The remains of the synagogue were removed and approved in 1961 the construction of a dwelling house on the property. A plaque in front of the dwelling house has the location of the former " Polish school " way.

Description

The relatively narrow plot in the Leopoldgasse was between two buildings from the period. Two markedly projecting side projections flanking a central building, which was surmounted in its foremost part of a dome. Thanks to the structure emphasis by the symmetrically arranged dome and the creation of a small atrium with a wrought iron fence, the construction of the surrounding houses lifted clear off and could be seen as a synagogue, but worked with his for the late historicism typical overloaded facade between the substantially higher interest houses " rather squat ". The turrets of a winning, divided by longitudinal ribs in gilded boxes and covered with slate dome rested above the entrance tract and was meaningless for the interior. The side projections were horizontal striped yellow and red, the recessed center section was against surface decorated with ornaments. The windows of the side wings were divided into two, those of the central structure in three parts. The construction finished off with a decorative band of small columns and Stalaktitenreihen, in the middle of a Hebrew lettering was attached, the attic was also on the sides of four turrets crowned in the center axis of the Tablets of the Law.

From the forecourt has passed through three entrances to the porch and from there into the prayer room of the men, the inputs for the women were located laterally and led to small vestibules, toilets and to the stairs to the women's galleries. Above the porch was on the 1st floor, a meeting room with adjoining rooms.

The relatively dark interior consisted of a three-aisled nave with galleries. His color scheme is uncertain. Stood in the middle of the room, as usual for Eastern Orthodox synagogues, the Bimah raised on a platform and surrounded by a grid. The 420 seats of the men were aligned according to the pattern of the Reform synagogues in the gallery were located on three sides the 217 seats for women. The Torahschrein was located in the eastern Apsidenwand, separated by an ornate Arc de Triomphe. On either side of it there is a space for the rabbi and a small prayer room were.

The synagogue was built in the Moorish style orientalizing was atypical for an Orthodox Polish synagogue. The typical style for reform synagogues should counteract the bad reputation the Galician Judaism among Viennese Jews possessed.