Great Synagogue (Husiatyn)

The Great Synagogue (Festungs-Schule) is a former Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located on Heroiv Maidanu Street, in Husiatyn, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. The congregation worshipped initially in the Ashkenazi rite;[1] however, by the late 19th-century, the congregation worshipped according to Hassidic practices.[2]

Great Synagogue
The former synagogue, in 2018
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism (former)
Rite
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
StatusAbandoned
Location
LocationHeroiv Maidanu Street, Husiatyn, Ternopil Oblast 48200
CountryUkraine
Great Synagogue (Husiatyn) is located in Ukraine
Great Synagogue (Husiatyn)
Location of the former synagogue in Ukraine
Geographic coordinates49°04′24″N 26°12′31″E / 49.07333°N 26.20861°E / 49.07333; 26.20861
Architecture
TypeSynagogue architecture
Style
Completed
  • 1654;
  • 1742 (rebuild)

Described as "one of the loveliest and most splendid in Galicia",[3] and as "exquisite",[4] the former synagogue building is listed as a monument of Architectural Heritage of National Importance of Ukraine.

History

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View of the synagogue before 1936

Built in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1654,[a] the synagogue is a rare example of Renaissance fortress architecture.[4][10][11] After a fire in 1742, the synagogue was rebuilt and almost lost all its distinctive defensive features. The rebuild incorporated Moorish Revival and Gothic Revival decorative elements in the façade and interior.

Damaged during and after World War II the building ceased to operate as a synagogue following invasion by German Nazis in 1941.[2] In 1972 the standing ruin was renovated and turned into a Jewish history museum.[12] In 2014, the building, no longer a museum, was listed by government authorities as available for lease.[6] Today,[when?] the roof has collapsed and the building stands vacant.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The synagogue is often erroneously described as a 16th-century synagogue.[5][6][7][8][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Great Synagogue in Husiatyn, Ukraine". The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art. Israel: Center for Jewish Art. n.d. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Husiatyn". History of Jewish Communities in Ukraine. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  3. ^ Ansky, S. (2003). The Enemy at His Pleasure: A Journey Through the Jewish Pale of Settlement During World War I. Translated by Joachim Neugroschel. Macmillan. p. 253.
  4. ^ a b Bartov, Omer (2007). Erased: Vanishing Traces of Jewish Galicia in Present-day Ukraine. Princeton University Press. p. 105 ff.
  5. ^ "Husiatyn. A view of the 16th century fortress synagogue" (image and text). YIVO Archives: Jewish life in Poland. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Deteriorating Husiatyn, Ukraine fortress synagogue is for rent". Jewish Heritage Europe. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Great Synagogue (Husiatyn)". Religiana. Belgium. 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ^ Wilkinson, Chris (21 May 2016). "The Last Place In the World – Husiatyn, Ukraine: Lost In Time". LinkedIn. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. ^ Seitz, Abby (2024). "Synagogues of Ukraine, Past and Present". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Pds Sso". Digital.cjh.org. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Ukraine synagogues part 1". Jewish postcards.
  12. ^ "Synagogye". Judaica.kiev.ua. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
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