The Vukovar Synagogue, also the Great Vukovar Synagogue (), was a former Neolog

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, located in

Vukovar Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. The synagogue was completed in 1889, in the

Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (; or ; ) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was created in 1868 by merging the kingdoms of Kingdom of Croatia (Habs ...

, within the

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, after the first smaller synagogue was sold to the

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

church in 1910. The synagogue was devastated by the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

s in 1941; and demolished in 1958.

History

The Jews of Vukovar settled in the city in the 19th century from other parts of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. The Jewish community in Vukovar was one of the oldest and most significant Jewish communities in Croatia. The first Vukovar synagogue was built in 1845 by architect . In 1889, Austria-Hungarian architect built the Great Vukovar Synagogue for over 200 members of the Vukovar Jewish community. In 1941, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the synagogue was plundered and devastated by the Nazis. Almost all members of the city's Jewish community were killed during

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

; including Rabbi Izrael Scher (also known as Izidor Šer, born 1901) and his wife, Klara (born 1906), both

doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

, who were murdered at the

Jasenovac concentration camp Jasenovac () was a concentration camp, concentration and extermination camp established in the Jasenovac, Sisak-Moslavina County, village of the same name by the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in occupied Yugoslavia durin ...

in July 1941. In 1958, communist authorities of the

SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

demolished the synagogue and sold the remaining ruins. A virtual reconstruction of the synagogue was completed by the Vienna University of Technology in 2006. In 2002 it was reported that there were plans to rebuild the former destroyed synagogue.

References

1889 establishments in Croatia 1941 disestablishments in Croatia 19th-century synagogues in Europe Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Croatia Ashkenazi synagogues Buildings and structures demolished in 1958

Synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

Destroyed synagogues in Croatia History of Vukovar Jewish organizations established in 1889 Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia Moorish Revival architecture in Croatia Moorish Revival synagogues Mudéjar synagogues Religious buildings and structures in Vukovar-Syrmia County Religious organizations disestablished in the 1940s Renaissance Revival architecture in Croatia Renaissance Revival synagogues Synagogue buildings with domes Synagogues completed in 1889 Synagogues destroyed by Nazi Germany Neolog synagogues in Croatia {{Croatia-synagogue-stub

History

See also

References