Konin has secured over PLN 16 million in support for the modernisation of a 19th century synagogue and the creation of a Centre of Four Cultures there. The funds come from the Fund for Equitable Transformation and the state budget. As the city authorities emphasise, the investment will make it possible to save one of Konin’s most important monuments and give it a new public function.
Scope of financing for the Centre of Four Cultures in Konin
The total cost of the planned works is almost PLN 18 million. However, the subsidy reaches over PLN 16 million, which means that the city’s own contribution is limited to 10 per cent of the task’s value. The funds obtained will make it possible to carry out the full scope of construction and conservation works, as well as to finance the equipment of the future cultural centre. It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of 2024, the paintings inside the synagogue were individually entered in the register of monuments as a work of fine arts. The entry included the polychrome paintings in the main prayer hall: on its eastern wall, on the baldachin in the central part of the room and on the columns supporting the baldachin.
The Centre of Four Cultures in Konin
A Centre of Four Cultures is to be established in the modernised building as part of a wider revitalisation of the so-called Old Town, included in the ‘Communal Revitalisation Programme of the City of Konin until 2030’. The new facility is intended to serve as a public space for residents, dedicated to activities related to culture, education and social topics. The centre’s programme will be based on four traditions present in the city’s history: Polish, Jewish, German and East Slavic. The facility will include a media library, meeting rooms, exhibition spaces and a modern library focused on collecting and providing access to multimedia resources related to the history and culture of the region.
The significance of the synagogue for the history of Konin
The presence of a Jewish population in Konin dates back to the late 14th century. For centuries, its community took an active part in the development of the town. The German occupation, which began in September 1939, brought a tragic end. Repression, confiscation of property, ghettos and mass executions led to the almost total extermination of over 2,000 Jewish inhabitants of Konin. After the war, only a few people returned to the city. One of the handful of material traces of this community remained the synagogue.
History and architecture of the building
The brick synagogue was built in 1830 on the site of an older wooden building from the 18th century. The decision to erect it was made after the earlier house of prayer was found to be in a poor state of repair. The synagogue was located on the newly delimited Bożnicza Street, and material from the ruins of the Konin medieval castle was used in its construction. In the second half of the 19th century, the building was rebuilt with oriental details on the façades, new vaults, bimah pillars and a new part containing a babiniec and a vestibule.
World War II and the further fate of the synagogue
In autumn 1939, the synagogue was devastated by the Germans and adapted to a warehouse. The furnishings and liturgical books were then destroyed. After the war, the building remained unused and forgotten for a long time. It was not until the 1980s that a major renovation was carried out, which partially restored the synagogue to its historical interior layout and painting decorations. After the work was completed, the building was adapted for use by the Provincial Public Library.
Neighbouring buildings of the Jewish community in Konin
In the immediate vicinity of the Konin synagogue there were other buildings associated with the former Jewish community. Until recently, there was a house of prayer and Talmudic studies dating from around 1870, located at the current intersection of Mickiewicza and Obrońców Westerplatte Streets. In the summer of 2016, a private investor demolished the building, prompting objections from local residents and historic preservation circles. The person responsible for authorising the demolition was later convicted in a final judgment, but this decision did not reverse the consequences of the destruction. A mikveh has also been preserved nearby, which is now used as a commercial building.
The Centre of Four Cultures in Konin – a great event
Information on the awarding of funding for the Konin Centre of Four Cultures project was published on 18 December in an appendix to a resolution of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship Board. This is a great event for the city and its heritage, as the funds obtained will make it possible to save a deteriorating memento of the former inhabitants, who for centuries jointly took care of Konin’s development.
Source: sztetl.org.pl, konin.pl
Read also: Monument | Architecture in Poland | Sacral architecture | Konin | Renovation
View of the synagogue and school, 1920s and contemporary. Photo: MKZ in Poznań and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
