Shivelbein Synagogue (Świdwin)

The high main façade caught the eye from afar. A large rose window and a prominent entrance portal gave the building a striking appearance. The inscription was emblazoned above the entrance: „וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ, וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם“ – And they shall make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst (Exodus 25:8).

Two rows of windows on the sides let light into the interior. Moorish elements such as horseshoe arches and delicate turrets were mixed with Gothic and Romanesque forms. The result was a brick building with its own unmistakable character - a combination of Jewish symbolism and the forms of European architecture.