The former synagogue in Nymburk will be revitalized by cultural and community events organized by the local association

Nymburk - The former synagogue in Nymburk has been used by the Nymburk association Boženy a Bohoši since this year; they want to organize cultural and community events there. The first public event called God's Day will take place on March 14. In addition to introducing the space and the association, the accompanying program will also focus on Jewish culture. The association is renting the space, which was previously used by the Polabské museum, from the Jewish community in Prague. Other volunteers can also get involved in beautifying the neglected place at one of the planned workdays, said the association's chairwoman Eva Hnilicová to ČTK.

"Although the synagogue is not a cultural monument and at first glance it is quite a neglected building, because a reconstruction in the 1950s significantly devalued the place, the history and genius loci are still there," Hnilicová said. She also pointed out that many residents of Nymburk may not know about the existence of the synagogue in the city and only recognize the place thanks to the little trains placed in the garden. The association, which has been active in Nymburk for several years, wants to focus its event programs on community activities for the whole family. "We want to collaborate with other Nymburk organizations, associations, and active individuals to make the place an open multicultural space," added Hnilicová.

At the first event in March, a part of the klezmer orchestra called Střípky Šarbilachu will perform. The event will include a tour of the synagogue and a lecture on the history of Jewish families in Nymburk, prepared by the modern history club of the Nymburk gymnasium. In the former synagogue, which the association has named Goga, there could be a public reading of the names of Holocaust victims, for example. Another event will be a charity festival called vem-ber-jez in May, the proceeds of which will go to support the renovation of the former synagogue.

Until the end of last year, the building on Eliščina street was rented by the Nymburk Regional Museum, which previously had several exhibitions, including one related to the history of the railway and the Jewish community in Nymburk. In recent years, it was primarily used to store some items during the renovation of its main building.

The Nymburk synagogue was built between 1891 and 1892 in a combination of neo-Romanesque and Moorish styles. The corners were originally topped with onion-shaped domes, which the building lost during a later renovation. It served religious purposes until World War II. The Jewish religious community in Nymburk ceased to exist in June 1942, when 70 of its members from 29 families were taken away by the Nazis to concentration and extermination camps.

In 1950, the Museum Society rented the synagogue from the Jewish community in Prague, which then managed the museum, and the synagogue served as a storage facility. In 1957, the County National Committee bought the synagogue, and it was renovated for museum exhibitions between 1959 and 1960, completely losing its original architectural character. For example, during the reconstruction, a ceiling was added to the prayer hall, creating two floors. Since 2000, the building has again been owned by the Jewish community in Prague. Today, the history of the place is remembered by only a few elements, such as the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the staircase, and the entrance area of the first floor.