(1860-1932)
Entry to the “Their destiny, our history” student contest initiated by the Jewish Roots in Győr Public Charity Foundation (2023-24), edited version
by Marcell Felsővári, Botond Gábor, Bence Kassai-Schmuck
Lukács Sándor Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Technical Hich School and College, Győr
Supported by Ms Veronika Vincze, history teacher
“I’ve just stuck with the great historical styles. In my temples and secular buildings, I’ve always started from a traditional idea of architecture. But I was never a servile copyist.” [1]
Wave of synagogue construction
In the 19th century, like in most other European countries, the emancipation of the Jews took place in Hungary. Thanks to the openness of the ruling class, most of the Jews in Hungary were absorbed into the Hungarian nation. After the political Compromise (between Austria and Hungary – ed.) in 1867, the Parliament passed the Law on the Civil and Political Equalization of Jews, removing restrictions on them and allowing them to fully exercise their civil rights, including the right to free enterprise and access to education. Emancipation not only brought legal changes but also promoted the cultural and social integration of the Jewish community. The laws led to increased immigration from neighbouring countries. The Jewish population at the turn of the century was close to 1 000 000.
The need to build synagogues arose among the emancipated, assimilated, and economically successful Jewish bourgeoisie. For the first time in the world, the Neologue movement gained ground in Hungary, where Jews held their services in Hungarian and wanted to build imposing and impressive temples with their own individual character. They were no longer satisfied with the style of Ludwig Förster, who had designed the Dohány Street synagogue.
Most of the synagogues built in Hungary at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries were designed by Lipót Baumhorn, who, as a designer and entrepreneur, understood the needs of the Neologue Jewish communities and became one of Europe’s most important synagogue architects. In total, he designed 26 synagogues in historic territory of Hungary, 22 of which were built.
Baumhorn the synagogue builder
Lipót Baumhorn was born in Kisbér (40 kms from Győr) in 1860 [2].
He married the 19-year-old Blanka Schiller (1874-1958) in 1893, in the early years of his career, and the family lived at 43-45 Király Street in the 7th district at the turn of the century. Their children were Margit (1894-1956) and Kornélia (1900-1958). [3]
He attended his schools in Győr [4], thereafter he studied architecture at the Vienna University of Art and Design under Professors Ferstel, König and Weyr. After his return home (1883), he worked for 12 years in the design offices of Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos. It was here that he acquired his generous, effortless draughtsmanship and his knowledge of fine and rich detailing. In contrast to the academic, historicist style of Ignác Alpár, the Lechner design bureau sought to create a boldly modern, national style inspired by Hungarian Art Nouveau and folk art. Based on the experience he had gained here, Baumhorn developed his own individual style: he used Oriental, Renaissance, Baroque or Art Nouveau ornamentation to complement his eclectic formal language. Almost on all his buildings we can observe Lechner’s brick arches with accentuated vertical lozenges running along the façade. His Art Nouveau solutions for large domed spaces are unique. Like all synagogue builders, his benchmark was the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, a symbol of ancient Jewish architecture.
Baumhorn’s oeuvre can be divided into three main periods: the beginning of his career (1888-1900); the turn of the century, when he was already a recognised and successful artist, with Jewish communities almost competing for his services (1900-1914). His last period of creative activity came after the First World War, when major architectural commissions became rare and even during the Horthy era, certain anti-Semitic manifestations could be observed, but he did not remain without work. From 1926 onwards, he and his son-in-law and fellow architect György Somogyi [5] began to design together. He would work continuously until his death (1932). [6]
Major sacred works
Back in 1888, one of Ödön Lechner’s architect colleagues, the talented, young and agile Lipót Baumhorn, was commissioned to design the synagogue in Esztergom. In the spirit of late Romanticism, it was designed, originally as a single-storey building, but eventually as a two-storey one. It had a gallery for women. In 1888 it was inaugurated by the rabbis Ignác Weisz of Esztergom and Imánuel Lőw of Szeged. This was the first independent work of the 28-year-old young man, and it was the building’s architectural elements that made him famous.
In 1894 he opened his own design studio. The synagogue in Fiume, built in 1895, is the first of his independent works, which already strongly reflects the specific features of Baumhorn architecture. It can be seen as a forerunner of the synagogue in Szeged, which he considered to be the main creation of his life.
The buildings of this period are characterised by oriental and neo-renaissance features. The synagogues of Nagybecskerek (1896), Szolnok (1898) and Temesvár (1899) were built in this spirit, reflecting the influence of his study trips to Italy. The snow-white synagogue in Szolnok, with its jagged walls, was built in an eclectic, romantic-Moorish style. The metal-framed dome, reminiscent of the one in the Museum of Applied Arts, stands out from the mass of the building. The pillars of the outer facade end in towers. The large rose windows are reminiscent of the Gothic style. The two-storey interior is decorated with stuccoes. The site is enclosed by an ornate fence. A winter prayer room and offices were built next to it.
In 1899, the synagogue in Budapest’s Lipótváros was awarded third place in the framework of a tender invitation, but the building was not completed partly because of professional disputes on architectural aspects, but mainly due to economic reasons. The plans far exceeded the building costs and Baumhorn’s design proposal was shelved with the other entries.
By the turn of the century, Baumhorn was a famous architect, winning commissions after commissions. In three years, in 1903, he completed the pinnacle of his oeuvre, the Szeged Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Hungary and the fourth largest in the world. The building is 48 metres long, 35 metres wide and 48.5 metres high, and its dimensions radiate monumentality. The temple is eclectic in style, with Art Nouveau, Moorish-Arab-Mediterranean, Baroque, Gothic and Romanesque elements, expressing the diversity of Judaism. Built on an iron structure, the church follows a Greek cross-based, central basilica structure, with a high drum-roofed main dome in the centre and a domed corner tower at each of the four corners of the building.
The building’s interior is dominated by blue, gold and buttery colours, creating an elegant yet light and airy effect. The most beautiful part of the synagogue is the dome, which symbolises the world. The 24 columns of the dome represent the 24 hours of the day. The golden stars painted on a blue background in the top part of the dome, with the Star of David in the middle, represent the sky. The other main jewel of the temple interior is the Nile acacia wooden ark in which the Torah rolls are kept. The candelabra are modelled on the Roman Arch of Triumph of Titus. The glass dome and stained-glass windows, depicting the most important events according to the Jewish faith, are works of Mano Róth. The building stands in a beautiful garden. From an architectural point of view, the domes of Florence and Pisa can be considered as its predecessors. Immanuel Löw, the scholarly Chief Rabbi, played a major role in the creation of the synagogue, and Baumhorn implemented his ideas with humility. The synagogue was largely built with donations from wealthy citizens of Szeged, whose names are inscribed on the glass windows.
After the failure of the synagogue in Lipótváros, he designed the synagogue in Arena (Dózsa György) Street (1909), which, despite its small size, has a monumental effect. The building consists of a central square central square, a hall and a sanctuary. The central square is covered by a circular dome. The interior walls were decorated with geometric motifs in yellow, blue, red and brown.
The Eger Synagogue was built between 1911 and 1913 in late Art Nouveau-Eclectic style. Its form and style reflect the characteristics of Baumhorn architecture. It is related to the synagogues of Szeged and Újvidék. Its monumental dimensions, together with Eger castle and the Turkish minaret, made it a dominant feature of the early 20th century townscape.
The synagogue in Pava Street (1924) was built during Baumhorn’s last phase. It is the only Orthodox synagogue designed by Baumhorn. The blue, white and yellow colours of the interior are reminiscent of the Szeged synagogue. The two pillars of the sanctuary represent the two pillars of the Temple of Solomon. The female choir is decorated with lilies.
Dedicated in 1930, the monumental, eclectic synagogue of Gyöngyös was the last work of Lipót Baumhorn. The building reflected the optimism and economic strength of the local Jewish community of 2000 people at the time, during the years of the Great Depression. The synagogue has a modern reinforced concrete structure. The traditional arches have been replaced by a modern dome structure supported by reinforced concrete beams. The overall appearance is one of a smoother and more cohesive mass, while at the same time retaining the medieval and oriental elements in its details, combining modernity with traditional and historical features.
He worked until his death, his last work being the extension and rebuilding of the Budapest Bethlen Square synagogue, which he completed with his son-in-law. [7]
His secular works
Although Baumhorn is the greatest figure in Jewish sacral architecture, his secular architecture is also outstanding. In four cities, Budapest, Szeged, Temesvár and Újvidék, he enriched the cityscape with his savings banks, schools, residential and apartment buildings.
The eclectic building of the Szeged-Csongrád Savings Bank, which still functions as a financial institution, should be mentioned in the first place.
The Vasalóház (Szeged) has been a pharmacy on the ground floor from the very beginning. Gusztáv Wagner’s residential building was also designed by him. The building was the first apartment building in Szeged to have an elevator.
Together with his secular buildings, the Baumhorn oeuvre consists of 90 works.
The fate of the synagogues in Baumhorn
Out of curiosity, we found out what happened to Baumhorn’s synagogues, since there was no Kristallnacht in our country, and the synagogues were not set on fire.
During the Second World War, the disaster (of the Hungarian army – ed.) in the Don River region made it clear that it was in Hungary’s interest to get out of the war. Horthy dismissed PM Bárdossy and replaced him with Kállay, who secretly made contact with Great Britain, while still in the German alliance. It was agreed that Hungary would unconditionally lay down arms to the Allies already present in the Balkans. After the Germans had learned of the secret negotiations, Hitler invaded Hungary on 19 March 1944, and the deportations began in May 1944. In less than two months, some 450,000 Jews from the countryside, including about 6,000 from Győr and the surrounding area, were deported, most of them to the gas chambers of Auschwitz.
Only a few of them were able to return home. The synagogues, with its communities dwindled in number, could not be maintained and were taken over by the state, often used for undignified purposes, and deteriorated. The restoration and renovation of synagogues began after the change of regime (at the end of the 1980s – ed.). Of the 22 Baumhorn synagogues, 12 are located in Hungary and 10 outside our borders. Of the 12 synagogues in Hungary, the ones in Gödöllő, Kaposvár, Makó and Eger were demolished. The synagogue in Nyíregyháza in its entirety, while the Budapest synagogue in Páva Street and the one in Szeged partially are used for sacral purposes by the Jewish community.
Another group of synagogues has become a place of cultural sanctuary, namely the synagogues in Esztergom, Szeged and Szolnok. The synagogue in Páva Street in Budapest has been turned into a Holocaust Memorial Centre. The Gyöngyös synagogue is under renovation. The synagogues in Cegléd and Aréna (Dózsa György) Street in Budapest are now used as sports facilities.
Beyond our borders, 10 Baumhorn synagogues were built, of which the ones in Fiume and Nagybecskerek were demolished during, while Szatmár and Muraszombat were demolished after World War II. The synagogue in Brasov remains a sacral synagogue, while the synagogues in Újvidék, Nyitra and Losonc are cultural centres. The synagogue in Liptószentmiklós is in a dilapidated state, while the renovation of the synagogue in Temesvár has already begun.
“The fate of the master and his works can be seen as a metaphor for the modern Jewish experience in Hungary: optimism, brilliance, decay, oblivion, and then, since the fall of communism, rediscovery and revival.” (Ruth Ellen Gruber) [9]
Further parts of the contest submission by the team of the Lukács Sándor Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Technical High School and College in Győr:
- Highlights of the exsiting Jewish memorial sites in and around Győr: synagogues, cemeteries, schools, memorials, memorial plaques
- metal sculpture (artwork)
Editing, English translation and insertion of additional photos for illustrative purposes by Péter Krausz
Cover photo: csodalatosmagyarorszag.hu
[1] Inscription on the tomb of Lipót Baumhorn in the Jewish cemetery in Kozma Street, Budapest, Köztérkép – ed.
[2] Son of a teacher from Győr, Mór Baumhorn (1827-1903); his mother’s name: Mária Rhonberg, his siblings: Henrik and Ármin; (Mazsihisz, szecessziosmagazin.com) – ed.
[3] Wikipedia – addition by the ed.
[4] Baumhorn attended the Győr Royal Hungarian State High School, i.e. the present Révai Miklós High School (Wikipedia and szecessziosmagazin.com) – ed.
[5] György Somogyi (1893-1980) architect, husband of Baumhorn’s daughter Kornelia from 1926 (szecessziosmagazin.com) – ed.
[6] Baumhorn dies in Kisbér, his birthplace (szecessziosmagazin.com) – ed.
[7] According to important information related to the Győr synagogue, Baumhorn participated in the tender for the design of the synagogue extension in 1925, but the winning design was submitted by the Budapest architect Dávid Jónás, while the realisation was based on two works prepared by the Budapest architect Sándor Hegyi, the second and third prize winner. These were used by the architect Arnold Bachrach from Győr, who was commissioned on 24 January 1926 to draw up the construction design.
[8] He also participated in the design tendering for the building of the Savings Bank of Győr.(szecessziosmagazin.com) – ed.
[9] Ruth Ellen Gruber, contemporary American author and journalist (ruthellengruber.com/) – ed.
Sources and literature:
Baumhorn Lipót – Zsidó Kiválóságok Háza
Faragó Vera: Baumhorn Lipót, a zsinagóga építő – Remény
Baumhorn Lipót síremléke – Köztérkép
A zsinagógától a Vasalóházig – Baumhorn Lipót épületei Szegeden – kultúra.hu
Nemzeti Örökség Intézete – Baumhorn Lipót
Esztergomi zsinagóga – Wikipédia
Új Zsinagóga – Szeged Tourinform
Dózsa György úti zsinagóga – Wikipédia
Egri neológ zsinagóga – Wikipédia