Lipót Baumhorn's Synagogues

The Fabric Synagogue, at Timişoara, is a synagogue that was built between 1895 and 1899. This brick building in the Hungarian Secessionist style is the work of the famous architect Lipòt Baumhorn. It serves the community of neologists, the majority of the city's Jews, and is particularly renowned for the quality of the local women's choir. After the size of the local community decreased sharply after the Shoah, the synagogue fell into a poor state of repair.

The synagogue, designed by Lipòt Baumhorn, was completed in 1898. The building has Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Moorish elements, but its exterior is also reminiscent of Italian Gothic. The synagogue occupies a prominent place in the cityscape: it stands near the shore of the Tisza River and dominates the surroundings. From 1972 it has served as a cultural centre (exhibition gallery and concert hall). A bust of Baumhorn stands near the entrance to the former synagogue.

The New Synagogue in Szeged, built between 1900 and 1902, is one of the largest synagogues in the world. The synagogue presents a mixture of many styles, from Art Nouveau to Moorish and Gothic. Based on the new building techniques of the beginning of the 20th century, its internal structure is entirely made of metal. Chief Rabbi Immánuel Löw (1854-1944) played an important role in the design of the synagogue, actively collaborating with Lipót Baumhorn.

The Novi Sad Synagogue was built between 1905 and 1909 by the famous Hungarian architect Lipót Baumhorn. The synagogue is a monumental building characteristic of the Hungarian Secession style, which combines Art Nouveau elements with Eclecticism. The interior of the synagogue is organised according to the traditional structure of the "liberal synagogues" of the second half of the 19th century. In the entrance of the synagogue one can read the inscription "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah, chapter 56, verse 7).

The Angyalföld Synagogue in Budapest is an Ashkenazi synagogue completed in 1909 by the architect Lippòt Baumhorn. After World War II it was used as a shed and later as a training hall for the Budapesti Honvéd Sport Egyesület sports club. In the post-war years, the much diminished community of worshippers gathered in a small synagogue behind the large building. After the Honvéd took over the building, it was renovated based on the plans of László Benczúr.

The Esztergom Synagogue was inaugurated in 1888 on the site of a former synagogue of the Jewish community of Esztergom existing since the 11th century. The present synagogue, which had been taken out of use in 1964, has been subject to many different uses but also to restoration throughout the second half of the 20th century. In 2006 it was purchased by the municipality and became the House of Culture (Művelődési Ház).

The Neolog Synagogue in Nitra was completed between 1910 and 1911 by the architect Lippòt Baumhorn. Used until the Second World War, this brick building in neo-Moorish and Art Nouveau style was transformed into a cultural centre after a renovation in 2004. In 1992, a plaque commemorating the genocide of the country's Jews was added to the building.

The new Neolog synagogue at Lučenec was completed in 1925 by the architect Lippòt Baumhorn. It was built on the site of a former synagogue, dating from 1863. During the Second World War, the interior of the present synagogue burned down. It was therefore restored between 1948 and 1980. Dismantled in 1944, this Art Nouveau brick synagogue was used for a long time as a storage place, but since its last restoration between 2014 and 2016, it has become a cultural centre.