The New Synagogue in Wrocław, also often referred to as the “Synagogue Na Wygonie”, was once one of the most important religious buildings of liberal Judaism in the city. Located at the junction of Podwale and Łąkowa Streets, it was regarded as one of the largest synagogues in Germany and Austria, rivalling the size of Berlin’s New Synagogue. Unfortunately, the building was demolished during the tragic Kristallnacht of 1938.
The initiative to build a new, larger synagogue was born on 25 October 1864, when the Jewish community in Wrocław began to feel that the existing White Stork Synagogue could no longer accommodate the growing number of worshippers. Construction work began in 1865 after the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone, and was entrusted to a German architect of Jewish origin, Edwin Oppler. The synagogue was completed in 1872.
The New Synagogue in 1873. photo from the collection of the College of Charleston Libraries
The New Synagogue was an imposing brick building, designed in the Neo-Gothic-Neo-Romanesque style. Its plan was based on a modified rectangle. The synagogue was one of the most recognisable buildings in Wrocław, thanks to its characteristic 73-metre high dome, towers and numerous pinnacles. The interior of the synagogue concealed a spacious prayer hall, surrounded by women’s galleries that were supported by decorative columns. On the eastern wall was the richly decorated Aron ha-kodesh, with the cantor’s desk and the bimah in front of it, the central elements of the interior.
The New Synagogue in the early 20th century and the same place today. Photo: Wikimedia Commons and Google Maps
View from Podwale Street in 1933 and today. Photo Source: Wrocław Jews 1850-1944 and Google Maps
During Kristallnacht, from 9 to 10 November 1938, Nazi militias burnt down the synagogue, destroying one of the most important places of worship for the Jewish community of Wrocław. After the end of the war, no attempt was made to rebuild it. In 1998, a monument was unveiled on the site of the former synagogue to commemorate the destroyed building. The inscription on the monument is written in three languages: Polish, German and Hebrew. In 2017, remnants of the foundations and fragments of the synagogue’s floor were discovered. This research was made possible thanks to the support of the Bente Kahan Foundation and funding from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
1928 and 2023, bird’s eye view of the New Synagogue and the Provincial Police Headquarters (Polizeipresidium). Source: Jeleniogórska Biblioteka Cyfrowa and Google Earth
In 2019, a digital reconstruction of the synagogue was created on the initiative of the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation. This project was carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Art History of the University of Wrocław, the Museum of Architecture of the City of Wrocław and the City Museum. The film is available HERE.
Source: sztetl.org.pl, new-synagogue-breslau-3d.hs-mainz.de
Read also: City | Sacral architecture | Wrocław | History | Architecture in Poland
