Former Synagogue in St. Pölten Becomes a Cultural Monument

Kurier, April 4, 2021

German Original: https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/sankt-poelten/ehemalige-synagoge-in-st-poelten-wird-zum-kulturdenkmal/401344760

Until 2024, the Jewish memorial is set to be renovated, adapted, and open to the public.

The renovation and development of the former synagogue in St. Pölten is part of the “Art- and Culture Focus St. Pölten 2024.”

On the occasion of the recent finalization of a non-remunerated contract between the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG) and the NÖ Museum Betriebs GMBH, a general designer for the landmarked building is now being tendered.

The necessary renovations and adaptations will cost some four million Euros, paid for by the City of St. Pölten and the state government of Lower Austria. In addition, talks are underway with the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism regarding financial support.

“History - Commemoration - Present”

Public access to the former synagogue St. Pölten has been restricted over the past decades. As of spring 2024, the building designed in 1913 by architect Theodor Schreiner will be fully accessible to the public again. The renovation and adaptation of the landmarked building will take place in accordance with the current standards for the preservation of historic monuments and with financial support by the national heritage agency. “We do not furnish a museum, we let the space itself tell the story. History - commemoration - present, these three aspects will be the leitmotif to convey the founding, bloom, and destruction of the Jewish Community in St. Pölten,” explains Martha Keil, director of the Institute for Jewish History in Austria.

The adaption of the space and the improved equipment will enable expanded possibilities and turn the former synagogue into a living space via art installations, media stations, and a Jewish art- and cultural festival.

“The Synagogue was the religious and cultural center of the Jewish Community in St. Pölten. Turning the building into a meeting space for later generations is a very important signal,” said Oskar Deutsch, the president of the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG).