Great Synagogue Gdansk - Gdańsk

The Great Synagogue in the Neo-Renaissance style was built between 1885 and 1887 by the Berlin architects Ende and Boeckman on the former Reitbahnstraße (today's ul. Bogusławskiego). The huge rectangular building with a large dome, flanked by two impressive towers, offered space for up to 2,000 people (the main hall had a capacity of 1,600 and a women's area for a further 400).600 and a women's section for a further 400) and featured impressive stained glass windows consisting of several giant Stars of David, chandeliers, tables with the Decalogue on two stone lamps, a huge organ and electric heating and lighting.

The representative building was financed by five kehillas (Jewish communities) from Winnica, Wrzeszcz, Szopy, Stare Szkoty and Gdańsk. The Great Synagogue was officially opened on September 15, 1887, and the first service took place on December 8 of the same year. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Great Synagogue was an important center of reformed Judaism, which made it a magnet for rabbis from all over the world and was evident by the opening of a Judaica museum with many rare and antique artifacts inside.

In 1933, the Nazis took over the city administration, which led to several unsuccessful arson attacks on the building, including one in August 1938 in which the Torah scrolls were damaged. Soon afterwards, the most valuable items in the building were sent to Jerusalem, Vilnius, Krakow and the United States for safekeeping. The last service in the Great Synagogue took place on April 15, 1939, immediately after a banner with the inscription "Come, May, and free us from the Jews" was hung on the building.

The Great Synagogue was sold to the Senate of the Free City of Danzig and demolished by the Nazis on May 2, 1939. There are no traces of the building left.