Stupava, Synagogue

The synagogue was built in 1803 and represents a unique example of the nine-bay type. Located in the center of the town, close to the Pálffy family chateau, it stands on a deep lot near a creek. Its exterior is rectangular, with massive walls pierced by simple Baroque windows and topped by a saddleback roof. An interesting detail of the façade are the oval ventilation openings in the gable, a typical feature of local architecture in the Záhorie Region. The prayer hall is a nine-bay space, three bays square, whose central bimah is supported by four columns. This unique synagogue was successfully saved and restored in 2002-2015 thanks to the long-term initiative of the Bratislava-based NGO Jewrope under the leadership of Dr. Tomáš Stern. The partially restored interior of the synagogue is used as a venue for Jewish family events and cultural activities.

The Stupava Jewish community, one of the oldest in Slovakia, was established in the seventeenth century on the estate of the Counts Pálffy, an important Hungarian noble family. The oldest documented tombstone in the Jewish cemetery dates from 1642. The community reached the peak of its prosperity in the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1828 it numbered 819 Jews, about one quarter of the local population (total: 3,374). The community maintained an excellent school, which was also attended by non-Jewish pupils. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Jewish population decreased, as many young people left Stupava for nearby Bratislava and Vienna. In 1940, the community had 191 members; most of them were killed in the Holocaust, and there is no active Jewish life in the town today. There is an ancient Jewish cemetery in the town (Pri Borníku 1693).