The décor includes a stunning sky-blue cupola studded with golden stars, a double-height Aron Hakodesh topped by a gilded sunburst, 12 ionic columns supporting the upper gallery, theatrical detailing and a domed skylight.
© WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer© WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer
The Stadttempel was the first synagogue in the world to incorporate a choir and upon opening hired renowned cantor Salomon Sulzer, who sang a version of the 92nd Psalm set to music by Schubert.
As the city’s Jewish community flourished under emancipation in the Hapsburg empire and grew to 200,000 – the third-largest population in Europe – the synagogue hosted hundreds of weddings and bar mitzvahs and was used as a blueprint for shuls in many other European cities.
Although the synagogue survived the advent of the Nazis, it was badly damaged and during the Second World War it was used as a round-up point for many of the 65,000 Jews deported from Vienna to the death camps.
The recovery of the Stadttempel began with repairs in 1945. A service for Herzl and his parents took place at the synagogue, with their coffins on display before being transferred to Israel for burial in 1949.
As renovations progressed throughout the 70s and 80s, new facilities were added, including a community centre and a kosher restaurant. The site also became the location for the Simon Wiesenthal Institute, and the Nazi hunter was honoured at the synagogue after he died in 2005. The new renovations have taken less than year despite the extraordinary scope of the work, from the restoration of the bimah, listed windows and staircases, doors and floors to new prayer benches, heating and air-conditioning systems and a restored and redecorated façade.
Vienna’s Chief Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer welcomed the reopening of the synagogue as “a powerful sign for the future”, speaking at a ceremony earlier this month.
He said: “As the only remaining active synagogue that survived the Shoah [in Vienna], the restoration is symbolically an investment in the future and Jewish life in Vienna and Austria.”
Members of the community paraded with Torah scrolls to celebrate the reopening, which has also been marked by the issuing of a commemorative two-Euro stamp by the Austrian Post.
© WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer© WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer
President of the Jewish community of Vienna, Oskar Deutsch, said: “We are home again. The Stadttempel was closed, but our community life never was.
“That we can pray here again today is thanks to the Republic of Austria, the City of Vienna, and hundreds of donors from the community and their friends at home and abroad. They have not only preserved a building, they have invested in the future of Jewish Vienna.”
Fundraising has covered 95 per cent of the outlay, with the City of Vienna underwriting a third of the cost.
Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig said: “The Stadttempel is a strong symbol of Jewish life in the city and is the religious and cultural centre of the Jewish Community. For many Jewish women and men in Vienna, it is a place filled with personal memories and is a spiritual home. It is also an important anchor of stability and security, particularly at a time of growing concerns about the political climate and the way Jewish people are treated. It is not only a place of prayer, but also an open house where cultural events, discussions and concerts take place. The fact that this remains possible despite the necessary security measures shows its importance as a place of exchange.
“At the beginning of the 19th century, public Jewish religious services were prohibited in Vienna, so building a synagogue in a central location was a political statement whose significance continues to this day. In covering one-third of the renovation costs, Vienna is reaffirming its responsibility for this important part of the city’s history and Jewish life.
“For the City of Vienna, one thing is clear: There is no place here for violence, racism or antisemitism. Jewish people must be able to live freely and feel safe in Vienna, which stands firmly behind its large and vibrant Jewish community and behind its responsibility for ensuring its safety and participation in the life of the city. The renewed Stadttempel should remain, for the next 200 years and beyond, a safe place of prayer, celebration, encounter and solidarity.”
KENH architects undertook the work, with founding partner Natalie Neubauer saying: “Ten and a half months was not really enough time, but we’ve managed it.”
