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Brezno – Synagogue | |
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Brezno was an important town in a central Slovak mining region, and Jews were barred from living here until the ban on Jewish residence in mining towns was lifted in 1859. Ten years later, there were only 32 Jewish residents. Their number grew slowly, reaching 172 in 1900. The Jewish community was well integrated into mainstream society and belonged to the Neolog movement. As it was so small, it did not have its own rabbi but relied on visiting rabbis from Tvrdošín, Rimavská Sobota and Banská Bystrica. On the eve of the Holocaust, there were more than 200 Jews in Brezno; 48 lived here in 1948, but there is no Jewish community in the town today. The Jewish cemetery forms the uppermost section of the municipal cemetery. It occupies a beautiful location on a hillside above town, spread out over a partially terraced slope. The tombstones are simple, reflecting the urban taste of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The epitaphs are mostly written in German and Hebrew, but Hungarian and Slovak inscriptions can also be found. The synagogue, built in 1901-1902, was designed by Peter Payerberger, a contractor based in Banská Bystrica. It has a tri-partite facade surmounted by an elegant octagonal tower with an onion-shaped, copper-covered dome. The interior, which has undergone partial restoration, has a traditional arrangement. The sanctuary is a three-nave hall, with a women’s gallery supported by cast-iron columns. The original Ark is placed in a semi-circular apse, and the stairways to the women’s gallery are at the rear. The building stands on a side street in the city center. Today it is owned by the municipality and serves as a cultural venue. The women’s gallery houses a small exhibition on the history of the local Jewish community. |
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