One of our featured synagogues - the Synagogue in Korneuburg on the Danube north of Vienna, Austria - has been the subject of discussion in local media as talks continue about the preservation of this important building.
Austrian news outlet NON has covered the story, and you can read the full article below - you will need to click the option to translate the page to English.
In February 2020, the community was close to purchasing the synagogue. The private foundation of the Korneuburg Savings Bank was in line to cover the restoration costs. But when COVID-19 set in, the private foundation was asked by the financial market regulators not to touch its financial reserves.
Mayor Christian Gepp has said there are currently no discussions with the owner and that the municipality is looking for a partner to help cover renovations once the municipality covers the purchase price. The owner of the building, Herbert Mandl, told Non he was still interested in selling the synagogue to the municipality.
There are very few medieval synagogues that survived in Europe which makes the Synagogue in Korneuburg on the Danube north of Vienna immediately a remarkable and important building. It is believed to have been built in the 14th century making it one of the oldest standing synagogue buildings in Europe.
It has not been used however since the expulsion of Jews from the town in 1421. A modern community existed in Korneuberg until 1939 but did not have access to the building being in private hands.
The building was listed as a historic landmark in the 1980s and currently used as a garage. The building is in poor condition and its current use is not considered appropriate for such an important site.
While there has been a longstanding plan for the Municipality to take over the building and restore it, this has been held up by lack of funds and changes in political leadership and political will.
There are several local activists who have been promoting the cause of the building, lobbying for the Municipality to purchase it. Once the site will be bought, the plan is that it will be conserved and turned into a cultural centre and educational facility explaining the history and fate of both the medieval and modern Jewish communities.
The Foundation will continue to support the activists in these ongoing discussions, and has offered its assistance in any future restoration project.
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