Synagogue in Szczekociny

The Synagogue in Szczekociny is a brick house of prayer from the early 19th century, which ceased to serve a religious function after the war. It stands at Marii Konopnickiej 3 and has kept the clear outline of a former synagogue to this day.

What the synagogue looked like

The building is of brick, raised on a rectangular plan and covered with a hipped roof. From the entrance a rectangular vestibule leads in, behind which is the main hall with a vault on a square grid, that is a nine-bay vault. The interior had four pillars with pilasters, a wooden bimah and a richly decorated Aron ha-kodesz (Torah ark) on the east wall.

Its fate after 1939

During the Second World War the Germans devastated the synagogue. After the war the building was converted into a warehouse. Today it houses a shop and a restaurant, so the interiors no longer serve for prayer and are not open as a museum.

On the building there is a commemorative plaque unveiled in 2009, with inscriptions in Polish, English and Hebrew.

Jewish traces in Szczekociny

The nearest site to the synagogue is the old Jewish cemetery in Szczekociny, about 100 metres further on. The second necropolis, the new Jewish cemetery, is less than a kilometre from it.

Practical information

• Address: Marii Konopnickiej 3, Szczekociny.
• The building can be viewed from the outside, and the plaque read by the entrance.
• The interiors are now occupied by retail and service premises, so entry hours depend on their owners and are worth checking before your visit.