General Information

The Moorish Revival building of the Tempel Synagogue, a Reform Jewish prayer house, was designed by Ignacy Hercok, and built in 1860-1862. The temple, with its tall, central section flanked by lower wings, follows the pattern of the Leopoldstädter Tempel in Vienna (Austria). The synagogue is still active today, although formal prayers are held only a few times a year.

Additional Information

Regular prayers were held in the synagogue until 1985. A large inflow of financial contributions from private donors around the world allowed the synagogue to undergo a vast renovation from 1995 to 2000.

Architecture: Highlights

The richly finished interior is adorned with dense patterns painted in many colours and copious amounts of gold leaf, but the patterns, with the exception of the exquisite Moorish design on the ceiling, are not stylistically Moorish.

Architecture: Explained

The arch over the Aron Kodesh with its pattern of alternating tall and short houses is more in the style of Polish folk art than anything Islamic. The Aron Kodesh is covered by a gold-leaf dome that evokes the dome over the Sigismund Chapel in the nearby Wawel Cathedral.

History: Highlights

At the time the synagogue was built, Krakow was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The synagogue was ruined during World War II by the Germans, who used the building to store ammunition. After the war, it was used for prayers again. In 1947, a mikvah was built in the northern part of the synagogue.