The Fate of Europe’s Pre-war Synagogues: Abandoned Ruins

Embarking on a cross-country journey in the trail of ancient synagogues that had survived destruction during WWII, I visited 27 cities and villages across Eastern Europe and reached a troubling conclusion: the Nazis did not entirely fail. Many of these places, once vibrant hubs of Jewish life and culture, are now in fact “Judenfrei” – cleansed of Jews. This reality underscores the devastating, lasting impact of the Holocaust, even generations later.

The previous article looked at historic synagogues that were disturbingly repurposed. In this segment you’ll discover the monumental synagogues that have been abandoned or still lay in ruins.

For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. By 1939, the Jewish population in Poland numbered 3.5 million, the largest in Europe. Tragically, by the end of World War II, only 10% of Poland’s Jews had survived.

Following the war, Poland came under communist rule, which forced Jews to make an impossible choice between their faith and their citizenship. Those who chose to remain often had to conceal their Jewish identity in order to avoid persecution.

Działoszyce, Poland

Jews had lived in the small town of Działoszyce since the 1330’s. For centuries, it was predominantly Jewish, and on the eve of World War II, Jews made up more than 80% of the town’s population. Today, no Jews remain in Działoszyce.

The only visible remnant of the town’s Jewish heritage today is the ruins of its 1852 synagogue, standing as a somber testament to a once-thriving community that was wiped out.

Inside the roofless ruins of the synagogue; preparations for the annual event of remembrance for the Jewish residents of Działoszyce.

Exterior of the Działoszyce Synagogue Ruins.

The synagogue after 1945. Source: Żydowski Instytut Historyczny im. E. Ringelbluma.

Nowy Korczyn, Poland

Before the Holocaust, 4,000 Jews lived in the nearby town of Nowy Korczyn. In 1942, the entire Jewish population was deported to Treblinka, and today no Jews live there.

Its 17th century synagogue was used as a storage facility during WWII, and after the war was abandoned and fell into ruin. In 2014 the synagogue ruins were preserved, and its wooden roof reconstructed. It now stands as a symbol of the destruction of the town’s Jewish community.

Nowy Korczyn Synagogue, preserved as ruins in 2014.

Nowy Korczyn Synagogue before the war. Source: Żydowski Instytut Historyczny im. E. Ringelbluma.

Abandoned and fell into ruin after the war, Nowy Korczyn Synagogue.

A haunting symbol of the destruction of the town’s Jewish community.

Tarnów, Poland

Jewish life in Tarnów dates back to the 15th century. Before the Holocaust, the town was home to 25,000 Jews, who constituted 50% of the population. By the end of WWII, around 700 Holocaust survivors returned to the city, but most left soon after due to lingering antisemitism. Today, no Jews remain in Tarnów.

The Old Synagogue of Tarnów, built in 1630, was destroyed by the Nazis in November 1939. Of the original structure, only the Bimah – a four-pillared podium used for reading the Torah – survived. Today, it is the sole remnant of more than 30 synagogues and houses of prayer that once stood in this town.

The synagogue square where locals now socialize.

The Bimah, the only remnant from Tarnów’s Old Synagogue.

Near the Bimah is another historic Jewish structure that endured: a mikveh (Jewish ritual bathhouse) built in 1904. Once a sacred space for purification, the mikveh building now serves as a nightclub.

Once a sacred space for purification, it now hosts a NightClub.

Łódź, Poland

Before World War II, Łódź was home to approximately 233,000 Jews, one-third of the city’s population and the second-largest Jewish community in Europe. Fewer than 800 survived the war.

Before the Holocaust, Łódź boasted 80 synagogues and prayer houses. Of these, only one survived: the 1902 Reicher Synagogue, which avoided destruction because it was used to store salt during the war. Its hidden location in a tenement courtyard may also have played a role in its survival.

This sole surviving synagogue in Łódź escaped demolition again, when in 2023 a local court ruled against its owner’s plans to demolish the synagogue and construct a residential building. Despite this victory, the building has deteriorated significantly and is closed to visitors.

Hidden inside a tenement courtyard, the Reicher Synagogue.

The only surviving pre-war synagogue in Łódź is left in crumbling condition.

The Reicher Synagogue may be the only synagogue in Łódź to have survived, but the city’s Great Synagogue holds another heartbreaking story. Destroyed in 1939, its foundations were unexpectedly uncovered in 2022 during construction of a new station. However, rather than preserving the site, the foundations were quietly destroyed in 2024 to allow construction to proceed.

Orla, Poland

Orla was a predominantly Jewish town until the Holocaust. Jews who had lived there since the 1650s made up 70% of the population on the eve of WWII.

After the war, the mid-17th century Great Synagogue fell into disrepair and was used as storage for chemical fertilizers, which only worsened its condition. The 350-year-old building remains in dire need of restoration, and is closed to visitors. Today, with no Jews living in Orla, it is under the care of a small group of Christian volunteers who took upon themselves to preserve the synagogue’s history and are working to raise funds for its reconstruction.

Imposing but deteriorating interior, the Great Synagogue of Orla.

Echoes from the past, former Jewish residents of Orla.

The 350 year-old synagogue building, Orla.

Historic photos showing the synagogue’s exterior (left, source: Narcyz Witczak Witaczyński 1932) and Aron HaKodesh (right, source: D.Duksin 1935).

Bonyhád, Hungary

Bonyhád was once home to a Jewish community of 1,200.

The 1795 Neolog Synagogue still stands today but has been left abandoned in a deteriorating condition. Local accounts suggest that the mayor of Bonyhád opposes efforts to restore the building, hinting at antisemitic motives. Inside the synagogue is a haunting exhibition of Bonyhád’s former Jewish residents, a poignant testament of a vanished community.

Interior of the historic 1795 Neolog Synagogue of Bonyhád.

Left abandoned and deteriorating, Bonyhád Synagogue.

Aron HaKodesh in 1934 (left, source unknown) and today (right)

The haunting exhibition of Bonyhád’s former Jewish residents.

The Synagogue’s exterior showcasing its current condition.

Miskolc, Hungary

In 1941, Miskolc was home to over 10,000 Jews. The 1863 Great Synagogue is the only pre-war Jewish institution that survived. It remained active after WWII until as recently as 2019, when it was closed due to structural damage.

The synagogue’s intricate 160-year-old wall paintings are now at risk, and its future is uncertain unless the small Jewish community – whose post-war population never exceeded 400 members – can secure funds for the synagogue’s restoration.

Miskolc’s only pre-war Jewish remnant, The 1863 Great Synagogue.

Abandoned in 2019 due to structural damages, Great Synagogue of Miskolc.

The 160 year-old wall paintings are now at risk.

Rain and moisture caused its structural damages, Great Synagogue of Miskolc.

Košice, Slovakia

Before WWII the city of Košice was home to over 11,000 Jews, 16% of the city’s population. Today, the Jewish community has dwindled to as few as 240 members.

Built in 1899, the Old Orthodox Synagogue is notable for its outstanding Moorish-style wall decorations. During the communist era, the building was repurposed as a storage facility. While largely unrestored, its facade and flooring were refurbished in 2018, providing a glimpse into its former grandeur.

The breathtaking interior of Košice’s 1899 Orthodox Synagogue.

The Synagogue’s second floor, once the women’s gallery, Košice’s Orthodox Synagogue.

The ceiling’s stunning features are now falling apart, Košice’s Orthodox Synagogue.

Refurbished in 2018, the synagogue’s exterior.

Kráľovský Chlmec, Slovakia

Before the Holocaust, the Jewish community in the small town of Kráľovský Chlmec numbered around 1,200. 850 of them were murdered in Auschwitz.

After the war, survivors revitalized the town’s sole surviving 1840 synagogue, but the community kept dwindling. The synagogue’s last religious ceremony took place in 1969 before its rabbi moved to Israel. Since then, the building has been abandoned, vulnerable to decay and vandalism.

Today, Kráľovský Chlmec is home to its last Jewish family – the Mittelmanns, three brothers who prayed in the synagogue as children. Now grown men, the last three Jews in town are hoping to somehow secure funds to restore and preserve their town’s only surviving synagogue.

The empty place of the Bimah which was removed during the Communist era.