Synagogue (Zsinagóga)
Budapest

The Dohány street Main Synagogue is of major importance for the Hungarian Jewish community, as well as a unique architectural masterpiece of the world. Also, it is one of the last synagogues, which preserves the tradition of the European musical liturgy of the Jewish religion.

This synagogue seats the largest number of people in the world with its 2840 holding capacity. However, during the two most important Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, 3000 to 3500 people pray in the building. It is worth mentioning that at these occasions the number of those who are staying outside is just as high. For these people, the Jewish religious holidays rather serve as an opportunity to meet other members of the community. Concerning the size of the building, only the Emanuel Synagogue in New York exceeds it. The external dimensions of the Dohány street Main Synagogue are 26,80 x 74,95 meters, and it measures 44 square meters from the inside. The towers are 44 meters in height. Similarly to basilicas the building consists of three aisles, that is the reason why it has been ironically called The Jewish Cathedral.

This wonderful synagogue was built to the request of the Jewish bourgeoisie at the end of the 19th century. The inspiration came from the splendid architecture, the organ and the choir of the Great Synagogue of Vienna, which was set on fire by Hitler and thus does not exist any more.

The construction of the Dohány Street Synagogue was carried out according to the plans of the Austrian architect, Ludwig Förster and was completed in 1859. The ornamentation includes Oriental, Byzantine and Mesopotamian motifs. The torah-ark and the internal frescoes are the works of Frigyes Feszl, the famous Hungarian romantic architect. The building has become a model of the Central-European synagogue design, however not many of the other synagogues survived. The building next to the Dohány street Synagogue was the home of Theodor Herzl, the founding father of Zionism, who developed the idea of a modern Jewish state. In the place of his house stands the Jewish Museum, which was built between 1931 and 1936 and was attached to the synagogue. The picture below shows the archways of this beautiful building.


Since the synagogue first opened its gate the organ and choirs have created an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Even Ferenc Liszt and Saint Saens, two great figures of the romantic music tradition have played on the organ. Famous rabbis preached here and the building hosted many significant events. Since its recent renovations, many tourists have been drawn in due to its splendor.

During the Second World War the synagogue served as a shelter for those who had been forced into ghettos and those who were forced to labour for the Germans. However, the ceremonies were not suspended even during the bombing. While Budapest was under siege the building was seriously hit 27 occasions and it also took many minor blows, which caused an enormous amount of damage. After the War it received only partial renovation, which resulted in its very poor condition at the end of the 1980's. Since the Hungarian Jewish community had greatly been reduced in number and was facing serious identity problems, they did not have the financial means to initiate the reconstruction of the synagogue.

Despite the country's poor economical situation, the governments elected after the political changes financially supported the renovation works, which started in 1991 and are still in progress. Apart from the walls almost every part of the synagogue has either been replaced or renewed. The plaster work is new, as are the majority of the seats, the gallery, the chandeliers, the lights and all the frescos. The original organ has also been renovated, and now, with its 63 registers and its wonderful sound makes the religious ceremonies and the concerts an unforgettable experience. Today, the Dohány street Main Synagogue is more splendid than ever.

However, due to lack of financial sources, the renovation works have not been completed yet. The contributions of the Hungarian state and other donators were insufficient. So far the reconstruction has cost 10 million dollars and a further 2 million dollars are needed to complete the works.