Heydukova Street Synagogue

Heydukova Street Synagogue
Slovak: Synagóga na Heydukovej ulici
The synagogue façade in 2007
Religion
Affiliation	Orthodox Judaism
Rite	Nusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Synagogue and Jewish museum
Leadership	Rabbi Baruch Myers
Status	Active
Location
Location	11-13 Heydukova Street, Old Town, Bratislava
Country	Slovakia
Location of the synagogue in Slovakia
Geographic coordinates	48°08′49″N 17°06′44″E
Architecture
Architect(s)	Artur Szalatnai
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Cubism Art Deco
Completed	1926
Materials	Reinforced concrete
Website
synagogue.sk

The Heydukova Street Synagogue (Slovak: Synagóga na Heydukovej ulici) is an Orthodox congregation, synagogue, and Jewish museum, located on Heydukova Street in the Old Town of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the only synagogue in Bratislava.

Synagogue history

Designed by Artur Szalatnai, a local Jewish architect, in the Cubist style, the synagogue was completed in 1924. The synagogue is an important example of Slovak religious architecture of the 20th century and it is listed as a Slovak National Cultural Monument. It is one of only four active synagogues in Slovakia and historically one of three in Bratislava; the other two survived World War II but were demolished in the 1960s.

The architect Artur Szalatnai was selected by winning a competition for the project of a new synagogue. It was Szalatnai's first major work after finishing studies in Budapest. At the time of the construction, there were no houses in this part of Heydukova Street.

The synagogue exterior has a towerless, seven-pillared colonnade facing Heydukova Street. Entrance is situated at the building's eastern side, from the corridor connecting the street with the inner yard. The interior includes a large sanctuary in which modern steel-and-concrete construction and contemporary Cubist details are combined with historicist elements.

Jewish museum

The building also houses the Bratislava Jewish Community Museum, installed upstairs, with a permanent exhibition “The Jews of Bratislava and Their Heritage” which is open to the public during the summer season.

See also

• History of Bratislava
• History of the Jews in Slovakia
• List of synagogues in Slovakia

References

Further reading

• Maroš, Borský. Synagogue Architecture in Slovakia: A Memorial Landscape of the Lost Community. Menorah Foundation.
• Matúš, Dulla. Majstri architektúry. Perfect. pp. 56–57.
• Eugen, Barkány. Židovské náboženské obce na Slovensku. Vesna. pp. 48–49.

External links

• Official website (in Slovak)
• "Bratislava Synagogue". Slovak Jewish Heritage.
• "Jewish Religious Life in Bratislava Before the Holocaust" (part of an online exhibition). Jerusalem: Yad Vashem.