Bratislava, Jewish Community Museum

The Jewish Community Museum was established by the Jewish Community of Bratislava in 2012. Its permanent exhibition, located in the former women’s gallery in the Heydukova Street synagogue, is accessible during the exhibition season from early June to early October. The exhibition, curated by Jana Švantnerová and Maroš Borský, tells the story of the Jews of Bratislava. A highlight of any visit is to experience the synagogue sanctuary, which is a precious example of interwar architecture with Cubist elements designed by the architect Artur Szalatnai-Slatinský. It is still used a Jewish house of worship. The museum’s Judaica collection was assembled by Eugen Bárkány during the 1950s and 1960s and stored in the former Neolog synagogue until it was razed in 1969, when the SNP Bridge was constructed. After decades in storage at the Slovak National Museum, the collection was returned to the Jewish community, which made it accessible to the general public by founding its own museum. The exhibition design, by architect Martin Lepej, respects the original architecture of the synagogue, yet creates a spacious and modern presentation of Jewish heritage. In addition to its permanent exhibition, the museum presents an annual special exhibition.