Preserving Europe’s Cultural Heritage: Restoring Subotica’s Sinagogue
- Written by Maja Jovanov
VIENNA/SUBOTICA – Europa Nostra, the leading European organisation involved in cultural and other heritage and the Institute of the European Investment Bank published at the annual congress of European heritage held in Vienna a list of the seven most threatened monuments of European cultural heritage, which includes the sinagogue in Subotica.
The monumenrs selected are seriosuly threatened; some because of a lack of expertise or negligence and inappropriate upkeep and mantenance, and all demand urgent action. Europa Nostra will stage its rescue missions during and following the summer, and action plans for all the monuments will be completed by the end of the year.
Smile at Subotica
The sinagogue in Subotica, northern Serbia, was nominated for the program by Europa Nostra Serbia, a citizens’ association which is the national branch of Europa Nostra, in co-operation with architect Viktorija Aladžić, an expert in the city’s Art Nouveau architecture and leading activist for the preservation of the sinagogueand the entire historical centre of Subotica within an informal group calling itself Smile at Subotica.
The sinagogue was designed by the Hungarian architects Deszoe Jakab and Marcell Komor in 1902. It is one of the most beautiful examples of ecclasiastical Art Nouveau architecture in central Europe. It was once the spiritual home of a large Jewish community in Subotica, but has since the Second World War been neglected and begun to deteriorate.
In spite of restoration work done over the past decades, the building continues to be in poor condition and not fit for use. It is for this reason that international expertise and solidarity will contribute to the preservation of this architectural and cultural jewel of Serbia.
Source: House of Good News