Fredric Bedoire, Professor of Architectural History at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Stockholm has, with great kindness, allowed Tikvah to reproduce the section from his book "The Jewish Contribution to Modern Architecture, 1830-1930" (published by KTAV New Jersey) relating to Oradea.

It is an honour for us to be allowed to have this privileged access. In order to see the detail please click anywhere on the image below and you will be taken to what Rudolf Klein, Professor of the History of Architecture, Tel Aviv and Budapest, called "an intellectual thriller that will appeal to architects, historians, and general readers interested in art or Jewish subjects."

The next part of our Buildings section will grow over time. We intend to highlight specific buildings with strong Jewish influence for more detailed examination. Please be patient as we decide what is the best way to display this information.

Synagogues of Oradea

Before the Second World War and the catastrophic events of 1944, Oradea had a thriving array of synagogues catering for the indvidual needs of the large Jewish population of the city. We are bringing together on this page a snapshot of how thesynagogues appear at the present time. With the work currently being undertaken by the Jewish community and the Oradea Council there is hope of a better future for some of these buildings.The preservation of buildings of historic and cultural importance is the responsibility ofthe Ministry of Culture and National Heritage who maintain a register which is available for viewing. Oradea has around 130 entries in the register, including the two main synagogues identified below.

Neolog

A magnificent Neolog Synagogue, with a large full-toned organ and a capacity for over a thousand people was built in 1878 in the centre of the city. This neo-mauricarchitectural monument became known to Oradeans as the Zion Temple and it has always been associated with its famous Chief Rabbi, Dr. Lipot Kecskemeti. Its shining imposing cupola, reflecting in the water of the River Cris, is to this day the centre'smost recognisable monument.

The architect was David Busch and the synagogue was built by Kalman Rimanoczy senior. The intricate internal frescoes were painted by Mor Horovitz.

This historic monument was badly in need of repair and not in use for many years. But following investment by the City Council of Oradea the synagogue has been restored and converted into a concert hall, conference centre and tourist information centre.

Orthodox

 

In 1890, a new and imposing Orthodox Synagogue, was built in neo-mauric style and is known as the Great Synagogue. The architect was Bach Nandor. This synagogue has seating for 1,050 people (600 for men downstairs and 450 for women upstairs) and after extensive refurbishment it is now able to be used for special occasions.

 

Sas Chevra

This small synagogue in the grounds of the Jewish Community was built in 1908 by Incze Lajos. It is known as the Sas Chevra Synagogue and was still in use for daily worship whilst the Great Synagogue was undergoing restoration.

 

Primariei (Teleki) Street

 

 

The beautiful Primariei (Teleki) Street orthodox synagogue, built in 1928, in neo-brancovenesc style, was the last synagogue built in Oradea. The architect was Istvan Pinter and the builder Bella Weimann. In a state of disrepair for many decades, this synagogue was being used as a vegetable warehouse. However, the great plans to renovate the building and to create a Museum of the History of the Jews of Oradea have now been completed.

Detailed plans were drawn up by architect Cristian Puscas with the assistance of a team of students from the Faculty of Architecture and Construction.  Asociatia Tikvah were involved in the early stages in order to encourage the completion of this development. 

The Architect, Cristian Puscas, discusses progress with Aurel Chiriac, Director of the "Tara Crisurilor" Museum and Emilia Teszler, President of Asociatia Tikvah in October 2013.

 

 

The synagogue was restored by a partnership between the City of Oradea and the Jewish Community and opened its doors in December 2018 as the Museum of the History of the Jews of Oradea.

 

Poale Cedek

The Poale Cedek synagogue for craftsmen was erected at the initiative of Rabbi Benjamin Fuchs around 1910. For many years it was used as a workshop, but now lies abandoned.

Viznitz

This synagogue was built by a benefactor of a senior Rabbi, Jisrael Hager of the Viznitz branch of Hasidism who fled from persecution with his court to Oradea in 1915.

The Rabbi was previously established in Bukovina but managed to negotiate with the invading Russians for an orderly departure, together with 70 of his companions. 

The synagogue was used as a hospital for the ghetto in 1944. Subsequently it became a workshop, but is now divided into small commercial units.

 

Jewish Palaces of Oradea

Some of the finest buildings in Oradea were designed, built or financed by Jews. Many of the most ornate were designated as "Palaces". 

Black Eagle Palace

 

 

In 1905 there was a competition for the design of the new Black Eagle Palace. This was won by the Jewish architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezso. The building was financed by two Jewish lawyers Dr.Kurlander Ede and Dr.Adorjan Emil and erected on the site of the old Black Eagle and Green Tree inns. It was opened for business in 1908.A particular feature of the Palace is the glass covered passages crowned by the large painted glass decoration of a Black Eagle made by the local manufacturer Neuman Karoly.

 

Ullmann Palace

 

The Ullmann Palace was completed in 1913. It is one of the few non-religious buildings in Oradea which clearly displays its Jewish allegiance. The façade is decorated with the Lions of Judah framing a traditional Menorah. This is the work of Professor Breitner from the Vienna School of Arts and manufactured at the famous Zsolnay factory in south-west Hungary.

The Ullmann family were one of the leading Jewish families of Oradea having arrived in the 1860s and Izidor Ullmann played a major role in the creation of the Oradea's Chamber of Trade and Industry as well as founding the Orthodox Jewish School.

It was Sandor Ullman, son of Izidor, who commissioned the local architect Ferenc Lobl, who was born in Oradea in December 1882, to design the Palace. Ferenc did most of his most famous work in Vienna. But, like many Jews in Austria, he was deported in1942 to a concentration camp in Eastern Poland from where he never returned. His legacy is one of the finest Secessionist buildings in Oradea and, which when built, overlooked the main market square of Oradea.

 

Moskovits Palace

The Moskovits Palace was erected in two phases between 1910 and 1911. It was commissioned by the Moskovits family, Jewish entrepreneurs in the mill and food trade. They commissioned Jozsef and Laszlo Vago, two of the most prominent of the Secessionist architects of the time, to provide an innovative and distinctive facade design.It is organised around a courtyard with shops at ground level and three floors of apartments. It has recently had a substantial refurbishment of the original Vago motifs.

 

Miksa Moskovits Palace

 

 

This building was commissioned by Miksa Moskovits, a Jewish engineer, for his own occupation and was built in 1904-05. It is thought to be the first buiding in Oradea that incorporated reinforced concrete following a design of Szilard Zielinszky from Budapest.

It is exceptionally rich in decoration with birds, trees and flowers

 

Stern Palace

The Stern Palace was built in 1904-05 under the supervision of architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezso. It has a Lechnerian style and has two hidden courtyards. The decorative motifs represent aspects of nature and folk art. There is some fine ironwork both internally and in the gates.

 

Sonnenfeld Palace

 

The commissioner and owner of this building was Adolf Sonnenfeld, the Jewish proprietor of the largest printing works in Oradea. It was built in 1911-12. Adolf Sonnenfeld also commissioned the first Secessionist house in Oradea.

The printing works were contained in the inner courtyard.

The architect was Frigyes Spiegel, a noted Art Nouveau innovator and Jew, who worked primarily in Budapest, but who lived and worked in Oradea between 1919 and 1923.

 Other notable Jewish related buildings

 

Darvas House

 

 

Darvas House can be considered the most original Secession-style individual residence built in Oradea. It was the second villa designed in Oradea by the Vago brothers (Laszlo and Jozsef). The house was commissioned by the owner Imre Darvas, a wood-dealing entrepreneur in Oradea and built by Ferenc Sztarill in 1909-10.The rear view in the second picture has access towards the Crisul Repede river.Inside the entrance hall is the commemorative plaque pictured above. In 2016, the Darvas House has been converted into a museum of Art Nouveau as can be seen from the following photographs:

 

We are grateful to Bihoreanul for the use of their photographs and more can be seen on their website.

Gendarmes School

Built in 1911-13, the Gendarmes School is the final building designed by Jozsef Vago in Oradea. It is clearly a very functional, but harmonious, design and comprises a range of buildings. It is now part of the University of Oradea.

 

Salamon Goldstein building

 

 

The architect of the Salamon Goldstein building was Ferenc Sztarill and it was built in 1910. Like many other Sztarill designs it has a minimum of ornamentation and gets its uniqueness from its trapezoid design and cantilevered tower.

It has the only remaining entrance gate in Oradea with a Star of David design.

Adorjan I house

Adorjan I house is the first building commissioned by Emil Adorjan. Emil Adorjan was a Jewish entrepreneur, an intellectual and an attorney. He appointed two young friends, Marcell Komor and Dezso Jakab to be the architects. The building was erected shortly after 1900 and is one of the most richly decorated buildings in Oradea.

Adorjan II house

 

 

Adorjan II House was the second building commissioned by Emil Adorjan. It is a symmetric design with three balconies. It is richly designed both on the facade and the ironwork with floral and vegetation motifs. It was built in 1904-05 by Ferenc Sztarill to the design of architects, Dezso Jakab and Marcell Komor.

Hotel Parc

The Hotel Parc consists of several buildings. The main hotel is illustrated above. The hotel was inaugurated by the Veiszlovits brothers (Emil and Gyula) in March 1915.

Asociatia Tikvah welcomes contributions to our website from local experts in their subjects. Mircea Pasca is a leading architectural historian based in Oradea and he has given us permission to quote from the series of books he has authored on buildings and architects in Oradea. Below is the latest in the series of books he has produced, this one being on the Ullmann Palace. All books are available to purchase in Oradea.

 

Two earlier publications relevant for understanding architecture in Oradea are:

Nr. crt.	Perioada 1867-1918	Perioada 1918-1940	Perioada 1940-1944	Perioada 1944-1948	Denumirea actuală
1.	Szent János utca	str. Vlahuţă	Szent János utca	str. Béla Breiner	str. Ady Endre
2.	Zöldfa utca	str. Nicolae Iorga	Hlatky Endre utca	str. Vasile Alecsandri	str. Vasile Alecsandri
3.	Ország út Vég út Aradi út	Calea Aradului	Aradi út Gróf Tisza István út	Calea Aradului str. Ferenc Rákóczi II	Calea Aradului
4.	Arany János utca	str. Millerand	Arany János utca	str. Arany János	str. Arany János
5.	Nagy Malom utca Bogár utca Malom utca	str. Vasile Lucaciu	Malom utca	str. Vasile Lucaciu	str. Avântului
6.	Vécsey Károly utca	str. Mărăşeşti	Vécsey Károly utca	str. Károly Vécsey	str. Bacăului
7.	Felső Kis Német utca Damjanich János utca	str. Simion Bărnuţiu	Damjanich utca	str. Simion Bărnuţiu	str. Simion Bărnuţiu
8.	Bunyitai liget	Parcul Regele Carol Parcul Alba Iulia	Bunyitai liget	Parcul Muncitorilor	Parcul I.C. Brătianu
9.	Gillányi sor	str. Astra	Gillányi út	Calea Dimitrie Cantemir	str. Dimitrie Cantemir
10.	Bánya sor	str. Minelor	Gillányi út	str. Dimitrie Cantemir
11.	Terézia utca	str. Panait Cerna	Terézia utca	str. Panait Cerna	str. Panait Cerna
12.	Nagy Fürdő utca Úri utca	str. Episcop Ciorogariu	str. Adolf Hitler	str. Attila József	str. Episcop Ciorogariu
13.	Kolozsvári út Széna utca	Calea Victoriei – până la Calea ferată str. 20 Aprilie – dincolo de Calea ferată	Mátyás Király út Kolozsvári út	Calea Matei Corvin– până la Calea ferată Calea 1 Mai– dincolo de Calea ferată	Calea Clujului
14.	Erzsébet utca	str. Miron Costin	Kocsán János utca	str. Miron Costin	str. Miron Costin
15.	Posta sikátor Posta utca Szalárdy János utca	str. George Coşbuc	Szalárdy János utca	str. George Coşbuc	str. George Coşbuc
16.	Gyep utca Nap utca Vitéz utca	Calea Decebal	Vitéz utca	Calea Decebal	Calea Decebal
17.	Nagyvásártér	Piaţa Mihai Viteazul	Benito Mussolini tér	Piaţa Mihai Viteazul	Piaţa 1 Decembrie
18.	Sütő utca Vár utca Báthory utca	str. Horia	Báthori István utca	str. Constantin Dobrogeanu Gherea	str. Constantin Dobrogeanu Gherea
19.	Apolló utca Nagy Pereces utca Szaniszló utca	str. I.C. Brătianu	Szaniszló utca	str. I.C. Brătianu	str. Mihai Eminescu
20.	Ritoók Zsigmond utca	str. Delavrancea	Ritoók Zsigmond utca	str. József Hübschenberger	str. George Enescu
21.	Bémer tér	Piaţa Regina Maria	Bémer tér Horty Miklós tér	Piaţa Stalin	Piaţa Regele Ferdinand
22.	Kertész utca	str. Bolintineanu	Ráday Gedeon utca	str. Kertész	str. Grădinarilor
23.	Vár utca Vár tér Sánc utca	str. Griviţei	Sánc utca	str. Griviţei	str. Griviţei
24.	Téglagyár utca	str. Fabriciei de cărămidă	Téglagyár utca	str. Guttenberg	str. Johann Guttenberg
25.	Templom utca Nagy Tükör utca	str. Bisericii str. Episcop E. Beniamin	Templom utca	str. Béla Somogyi	str. Cardinal Iuliu Hossu
26.	Kert utca Mezey Mihály utca	str. General Moşoiu	Mezey Mihály utca	str. Avram Iancu	str. Avram Iancu
27.	Sas utca - înainte de 1904 Kossuth Lajos utca - după 1904	str. Avram Iancu	Kossuth Lajos utca	str. Lajos Kossuth	str. Independenţei
28.	Nilgesz telep	Colonia Nilgesz	Nilgesz telep	-	Cartierul Nicolae Iorga
29.	Őssi telep	-	-	Colonia Ioşia	Cartierul Ioşia
30.	Őssi tér	Piaţa Ioşia	Gróf Majláth Gusztáv utca	str. Ştefan Octavian Iosif	str. Ştefan Octavian Iosif
31.	Köfaragó utca - înainte de 1904 Lukács György utca - după 1904	str. Nicolae Jiga	Lukács György utca	str. Nicolae Jiga	str. Nicolae Jiga
32.	Pecze sor dr. Várady Zsigmond utca Szarvas sor	str. Nicu Filipescu	dr. Várady Zsigmond utca	str. Mihail Kogălniceanu	str. Mihail Kogălniceanu
33.	Nagysándor József utca	str. Iosif Vulcan	Nagysándor József utca	str. József Nagysándor	str. Aurel Lazăr
34.	Olaszi utca Sztaroveszky utca	str. Sztaroveszky Piaţa Iaşilor str. Episcop Radu	Sztaroveszky utca	str. Episcop Ciorogariu	str. General Magheru
35.	Nagy Magyar utca Beöthy Ödön utca	str. Dimitrie Cantemir	Beöthy Ödön utca	str. Petru Groza	Str. Iuliu Maniu
36.	Széles utca	str. General Holban str. Mihail Sorbul	Mikszáth Kálmán utca	str. Karl Marx	str. Menumorut
37.	Apácza utca Szilágyi Dezső utca	str. Prinţul Carol str. Regele Ferdinand	Szilágyi Dezső utca	str. Sindicatelor	str. Moscovei
	Határ utca Nagy híd utca Gyár utca	str. Fabricelor	Gyár utca	str. Tito	str. Eftimie Murgu
	Szöllős telep	-	Szöllős telep	Colonia Seleuş	Cartierul Nufărul
38.	-	-	Oncsa telep		Cartierul Oncea
39.	Kis kút utca Vízvezeték utca	str. Ferenc Berkovits str. dr. Ioan Ciordaş	Berkovits Ferenc utca	str. Ioan Ciordaş junior	str. Olteniei
40.	Közép utca Pável utca	str. Episcopul Pavel	Pável utca	str. Episcop Pavel	str. Episcop Pavel
41.	Hideg utca Hidegser utca Kórház utca	str. Louis Pasteur	Vörösmarty Mihály utca	str. Louis Pasteur	str. Louis Pasteur
42.	Új sor Schlauch tér	Parcul Carmen Sylva	Schlauch Bíbornok tér	Piaţa Sándor Petőfi	Parcul Sándor Petőfi
43.	Nagy Teleki utca - înainte de 1904 Gróf Teleki Pál utca - după 1904	str. Alex(cs)andri	Gróf Teleki Pál utca	str. Visinszki	str. Primăriei
44.	Fő utca	Bulevardul Regele Ferdinand	Rákóczi út Horthy Miklós út	str. Republicii	str. Republicii
45.	Országút Rákóczi út	Bulevardul Regele Ferdinand	Rákóczi út Horthy Miklós út	str. Republicii	str. Republicii
46.	Nagy Szőllősi utca Körös tér Szöllős utca	str. Ştefan Octavian Iosif	Szöllős utca	str. Ervin Szabó	str. Seleuşului
47.	Füzes utca	str. Praga	Apáca utca	str. Louis Barthou	str. Sovata
48.	Rózsa utca	str. Aurel Vlaicu	-	-	str. Sucevei
49.	Vámház utca	str. Aurel Vlaicu	Szeptember 6. utca	str. Evreilor deportaţi martiri	str. Sucevei
50.	Templom tér	Piaţa Veneţia	Szent István tér	Piaţa Imre Szacsvay	Piaţa Tineretului
51.	Szent László tér	Piaţa Unirii	Szent László tér	Piaţa Malinovszki	Piaţa Unirii
52.	Őssi út	Calea Ioşia	-	-	str.Tudor Vladimirescu
53.	Nagy Körös utca Körös utca	Str. Take Ionescu	Gróf Csáky István	str. Tudor Vladimirescu	str.Tudor Vladimirescu
54.	Rimanóczy Kálmán utca	str. Kálmán Rimanóczy	Rimanóczy Kálmán utca	str. Kálmán Rimanóczy	str. Iosif Vulcan