Ostrów Wielkopolski, the synagogue, 2008

The photograph from Wojciech Wilczyk’s project “There’s no Such Thing as an Innocent Eye” presents the former synagogue in Ostrów Wielkopolski, one of the few Moresque-style synagogues preserved in Poland. It was constructed in the years 1857–1860 by the master mason Moritz Lande and partially rebuilt in 1903.

The building is oriented (facing the Land of Israel), based on a rectangular plan with dimensions of 28.8 × 16 m. The pictured façade is divided into two storeys, flanked by towers with octagonal onion domes, covered with grey ceramic tiles and topped with spikes set on spherical bases. In the five-axis ground floor, there are three portals (the main one in the middle and two on the sides of the building) and biforas (arcaded windows separated by a column). The second, double-height storey has five vertical windows closed with a full arch, with an archivolt (profiled arch face).

Magnificent synagogues erected from the 19th century by Reformed Jewish communities in Germany – their members were advocates of progress and considered themselves German citizens of the Mosaic faith – were to reflect their aspirations and social position. The synagogue in Ostrów is a good example of that trend (see E. Bergman, “Nurt mauretański w architekturze synagog” [The Moorish Current in the Architecture of Synagogues], Warszawa 2004, pp. 182–185).

During World War II, the Nazi authorities turned the synagogue into a warehouse. The facility continued to perform the same function in the decades to follow. Careless exploitation and lack of professional conservation contributed to the gradual devastation of the monument.

Wojciech Wilczyk took this photo on 29 March 2009, after the renovation works in the building had started (see W. Wilczyk, „Niewinne oko nie istnieje. There’s no Such Thing as an Innocent Eye”, Łódź 2009, pp. 426–427).

More information about the synagogue in Ostrów Wielkopolski: https://sztetl.org.pl/en/towns/o/222-ostrow-wielkopolski/112-synagogues-prayer-houses-and-others/87651-synagogue-19th-century

Krzysztof Bielawski