Outside Bratislava Synagogue, Bratislava, Slovakia
We couldn't leave Bratislava before seeing the Bratislava Orthodox Synagogue. It was lucky we did go to see it, as it is such a well preserved building and only goes to show that the Jewish community was substantial.
According to the Jewish Museum in Bratislava, there at one time 80,000 Jewish people living in Bratislava alone. Due to WW2 and other situations, there are only 1,000 Jewish people now living in Bratislava, which is sad. We were told that many families go to Vienna and Budapest, where the communities are bigger.
Unfortunately, the Synagogue was closed, but this gives you an idea of the community that is still there.
The only remaining synagogue in Bratislava is located on Heydukova Street, not far from the historic city center.
It was constructed in 1923-1926, decades after restrictions on Jewish residence were lifted, enabling them to move out of the Judengasse district and settle throughout the city.
The synagogue exterior has a towerless, seven-pillared colonnade facing the street. The interior includes a large sanctuary in which modern steel-and-concrete construction and contemporary Cubist details are combined with historicist elements, such as the arcade of the women's gallery, a metallic bimah, and the ark.
The architecture fulfils traditional religious requirements, such as separation of men and women and placement of the bimah in the center, but it also features modern facilities: Cloak-rooms, toilets, and an array of additional rooms for study and social gatherings cluster along the western façade of the building.
The synagogue still serves as an active Jewish house of worship.
There are several Holocaust memorial plaques here, and a community memorial exhibition is being prepared for installation in the women's gallery.
Filmed using the Sony HDR-HC5E HDV1080i High Definition Handycam.