Subotica Synagogue, an impressive example of art nouveau sacred architecture, was designed originally as a competition proposal by Marcel Komor and Dezso Jakab for a synagogue in Szeged, Hungary, in the late 1890s, Subotica's Jewish community adapted and built this second-place entry in 1902. The building suffered periodic damage and neglect over the past century largely because of economic hardship and conflict. Today the synagogue is part of a regional tourism program that draws local and international visitors to explore its beauty and history.
Subotica Synagogue was included in the World Monuments Watch four times between 1996 and 2006 to draw attention to its cultural significance and its dire conservation needs. Beginning in 2000, WMF supported documentation and conservation efforts to secure the future of the synagogue. Since that time, the roof has been fully repaired, an improved drainage system established, and the central dome and cupolas have been conserved.
The final phase of exterior work, which includes repairing and replacing brick, resurfacing the façade's stucco, and restoring the stained glass windows, is underway. Once restoration is complete, Subotica Synagogue can again be used by its congregation for religious services and will serve as a cultural center for the entire community of Subotica. Learn how you can help ensure the future of Subotica Synagogue in our brochure, Jewish Heritage Conservation Projects 2012-2013 (pdf).
The synagogue’s elaborate Zsolnay-glazed tiled roof, zinc-topped dome, and undulating façade trimmed in red brick and terracotta, 2012.
Glazed plate of the Ten Commandments, 2009.
View of sheet-metal clad cupolas, 2005. The synagogue was one of the first structures in the region to be built with concrete and steel framing, making it of notable engineering interest, as an early adopter of new materials and building technology.
Conservation of the gables, showing the synagogue’s many fine decorative elements, 2007.
Central cupola, after conservation, 2009. The Zsolnay tiles, still hand made in Pécs, Hungary, are of superb quality and reflect more than a century of tradition.
Elaborate paintings and carved and molded interior decoration reflect the architects’ Hungarian roots, 2012.
A small exhibit inside the synagogue welcomes visitors and introduces them to the role of the synagogue in the city’s history, as well as its role today as both a sacred site and part of a cultural route, 2012.
Detail of the rear façade window, displaying the high level of craftsmanship that went into the synagogue’s original construction, 2008.
Ground-level stained glass window before conservation and the installation of protective mesh, 2001.
Ground-level stained glass window with protective mesh, after conservation, 2002.
One flanking side entrance at the southwest entry façade, before conservation, 2012.
One flanking side entrance at the southwest entry façade, after conservation, 2012.
Tripartite main entrance at the southwest entry façade, after conservation, 2012.
Now a heritage destination, the Subotica Synagogue, designed by the Hungarian architects Marcel Komor and Dezso Jakab, has been hailed as one of the best surviving examples of secessionist (Jugendstil) architecture in Europe, 2012.
