Former synagogue in Pszczyna

The former synagogue in Pszczyna stands on Bramkowa Street, a few steps from the Market Square. It was built in 1835 and today it has no religious function. The building has kept the outline from the time of the Jewish community, but its interior and façade were altered during the war.

History of the building

The synagogue was built in 1835 on the site of an earlier house of prayer, founded in 1765 by Salomon Isaac Plessner.

The solemn opening took place on 21 September 1835. At the start of the Second World War the building was set on fire, but the fire was quickly put out because of the risk of the flames spreading. In 1941-1942 the building was converted into a cinema: the original openings in the walls were bricked up, new ones were made, and the entrance was moved to the east wall. After the war a cinema called "Wenus" continued to operate here.

What remains of the former synagogue

The brick building was erected on a rectangular plan. In the eastern part was the prayer hall, surrounded on three sides by women's galleries.

The adaptation into a cinema hall so obscured the architecture that descriptions speak of mainly commemorative value. Of the former decoration only two pilaster capitals on the west wall have survived. According to descriptions, since June 2016 the building has housed an entertainment venue of the escape-room type, so the interior is not visited as a historic monument.

Practical information

• Address: Bramkowa Street, Pszczyna, near the market square and the castle.
• The building is viewed from the outside. The rules of entry depend on the current user, so check them before your visit.
• More about the history of the Jews of Pszczyna is described in Sławomir Pastuszka's book "Śladami Pszczyńskich Żydów" (2013) and on the Virtual Shtetl (Wirtualny Sztetl) portal.