New Synagogue

The New Synagogue of Žilina is an architecturally significant building with a heartbreaking history. Designed in 1929 by Peter Behrens — the Modernist pioneer in whose Berlin atelier Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier all worked — it is a fine example of Expressionist architecture: a powerful, abstract composition in brick with a cylindrical roof structure.

The Jewish community of Žilina was all but destroyed in the Holocaust; the synagogue was repurposed as a cinema after the war and later fell into disrepair. It has been partially restored in recent decades and is now used as a cultural centre and venue for events, concerts, and exhibitions. The interior retains some original architectural elements. It is one of the most architecturally important buildings in the city and one of the more moving Holocaust-related sites in Slovakia.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The New Synagogue was built in 1929 and designed by Peter Behrens, the German architect who also mentored Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier. Three founders of modern architecture trained in his office. The Žilina commission was one of his last major works. The Jewish community it served was almost entirely deported to Auschwitz during the war; fewer than 100 of Žilina's roughly 3,000 Jews survived.

Other places in Things to Do