The Great Synagogue
For centuries, Jewish community has been part of cultural and religious pot of Danzig. On the turn of 19th and 20th century number of Jewish lived in Danzig ranged between 2736 in 1880 (2,4% of population), 2553 in 1900 to 2390 in 1910 (1,4% of population). Jewish in Danzig were part of few religious communities.
In 1880 the Committee of Communities Unification was established by five Jewish communities: Neu Schottland, Mattenbuden, Breite Gasse, Langfuhr and Winnica. The Committee took the decision about construction of new, common synagogue for all the communities in Danzig. The huge building of synagogue was built at Boguslawskiego street (An der Reitbahn) close to the fire station by company from Berlin - Ende and Böckmann. New synagogue, called the Great, was opened on 8th December 1887. It was built in neo- renaissance style with facade seen from the main road leading to Danzig. Building, projected for 2 thousands people had facade with arcaded porch and big, round window with stained glassed David's star and central tower capped with a dome with lantern. There were also two small towers at the both sides of the porch and apse at the east side of the building.
Danzig panorama from Bishops' hill with the dome of synagogue.
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Great Synagogue in Danzig.
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) | Dome of the synagogue behind the fortifications seen from Stare Szkoty (Alt Schottland). |
) | Aerial view of the synagogue. |
) | Project of synagogue's facade. |
Huge chandeliers hung in spacious interior of the temple and galleries based on massive columns were placed along the walls and over the western entrance, there was also huge Menorah. The altar cabinet used to store Torah (Aron Hakodesz) was located in the apse on the dais with several stairs. The organs were placed behind the altar on the gallery for synagogue's choir. Since the end of 19th century, synagogue has had central heating and electric lights. Building works were finished in 1887, the official opening had place on 15th September 1887 and the first divine service had place on 8th of December and that time other Danzig synagogues were closed. At the beginning of 20th century the biggest museum of Jewish culture was opened in the Great Synagogue thanks to donation of Lesser Gieldzinski, who offered his collection of Judaica.
Interior of the synagogue.
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) | Lesser Gieldzinski (1830-1910), collector from Danzig, donator of the Judaica collection for the Great Synagogue. |
The typical dome of synagogue was part of Danzig panorama only for half a century. When nazis came to power in Danzig they started to discriminate Jewish community and the attacks for synagogues begun. In 1938 Nazis tried to burn the synagogue but Jewish guards and police stopped them. After this incident Jewish community, which was afraid of more attacks, decided to sell the collections and take them away from Danzig. Lesser Gieldzinski's Judaica collections ware taken to the United States with help of organization Joint and they are now in Jewish Museum in New York. On 8th January 1939 Senate of Danzig bought from Jewish community all its properties including the synagogue for sum of 300 thousands gulden. Money was used to evacuate Jewish from Danzig mostly to Great Britain, USA, South America and to Palestine. On 15th April the last service had place in the Great Synagogue, after which it was surrounded by wall with text: "Komm lieber Mai und mache von Juden uns jetzt frei" (Come dear May and make us free of the Jews) on it. A month later the building of synagogue was knocked down.
Great Synagogue in May 1939.
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) | Jewish newspaper with information about the end of synagogue. |