Assif

Germany - 10-Mar-15 -

As far as I could find out, the Jewish ghetto has three famous synagogues, not four. They are even called the Jewish Triangle: at the Dohany st., Kazinczi st. and Rumbach st. These three synagogues were built between 1850 and 1920, designed by famous Austrian architects and can easily be visited together. Dohany is the most famous one and is a major stop at any city tour to Budapest. It is also called the Big Synagogue for its size: It is the largest one in Europe and the third largest in the world and can accommodate 3000 congregates. It is also the oldest of the three and was consecrated in 1859. It is an impressive Moorish style building, similar to many other synagogues of this age (e.g. Spanish synagogue in Prague), although its size makes it exceptional. It serves the conservative Jewish community. Nearby is the main orthodox synagogue at Kazinczi st. built in 1913. It is very different in style - highly ornate Art Nouveau and bluish colours. I personally found it even more impressive than its more frequented big brother. The third one, at Rumbach st. was undergoing renovations financed by the Swiss. It too belongs to the orthodox community. Built in 1872, it was inspired by the Big Synagogue, although owing to famous Otto Wagner in charge of the design, it has a lot of Art Nouveau influence. Interestingly, both synagogues serving the orthodox community were planned by non-Jewish master architects, who were also popular for designing public secular buildings, private residences and even churches. This would be unheard of today.

I strongly recommend to include a visit to the three synagogues when in Budapest. I do not know why this nomination was dropped but I still consider it a more than viable potential extension to the Budapest WHS.