Danzig Groß Synagoge

The Great Synagogue of Danzig, today Gdańsk, was the city's most important Jewish house of worship and was built between 1885 and 1887. The building, designed by Hermann Ende and Wilhelm Böckmann, was executed in the Neo-Renaissance style with pronounced Moorish influences, drawing in particular on the Alhambra. With its large dome, two towers, and nighttime illumination, it ranked among the city's most striking landmarks. The façade was adorned with a stained-glass window of the Star of David, and the tower spires were likewise crowned with Stars of David. Inside, a spacious hall dominated the space beneath the dome, from which enormous chandeliers hung. The Torah ark stood in an apse behind a curtain, flanked by a large organ and a choir area. The walls were decorated with floral motifs, geometric symbols, and biblical verses, and the building had electric heating and lighting, which was unusual at the time.

In the early 20th century, the synagogue developed into an important center of Reform Judaism. It housed a museum with rare historical objects, including the collection of Lesser Giełdziński, and served as a venue for concerts and lectures by international scholars. Its consecration in 1887 by Rabbi Cossmann Werner marked the union of several of the city's Jewish congregations. With the rise of National Socialism and growing antisemitic sentiment in the Free City of Danzig, however, the building became a target. Despite protection by a Jewish militia, which thwarted two arson attempts, Nazis broke in in 1938 and destroyed Torah scrolls. The congregation subsequently had to move valuable holdings to Jerusalem, Vilnius, and the United States, and sold the organ, chandeliers, and pews.

In the spring of 1939, the building was sold to the city senate, and the last service took place on April 15. Shortly afterward, the Nazi government had the synagogue demolished, accompanied by antisemitic slogans on the façade. After the German invasion of Poland and the occupation of the city, many of the Jewish residents were murdered in the Holocaust. Today the site of the former synagogue is unused. Parts of it belong to the new Jewish community in Gdańsk and others to the Polish state security service, while a theater is planned for the rest. There are currently no realistic plans to rebuild the historic building.