Prešov, Judaica exhibition

The first Jewish Museum in Slovakia was established in Prešov in 1928, and operated until World War II. Organized by the Jewish Museum Association and presided by Engineer Eugen Bárkány, the museum assembled a unique Judaica collection predominantly from the region of eastern Slovakia. In 1952, the collection was deposited at the State Jewish Museum in Prague, from where it was returned to the Jewish Community of Prešov in 1993. The current permanent exhibition operates under the Museum of Jewish Culture in Bratislava. Unique Judaica can be seen in the context of the splendid interior of the Orthodox synagogue, where they are installed in the women´s gallery. In 2018-2023, the collection was researched by Jana Švantnerová, Zsuzsanna Toronyi and Maroš Borský, in cooperation with an international team of experts. This endeavors resulted in four special exhibitions, accompanied by extensive catalog volumes. The Prešov collection will soon be presented within our online database.