Objects

Glass negative showing a crowd of people in Rybi Square in Przemyśl, in front of the now defunct 16th-century Old Synagogue.

The brick Old Synagogue at 31 Jagiellońska Street, erected in the Renaissance style, was the oldest house of prayer in Przemyśl. Construction works on the building ended in 1594. It replaced an older wooden synagogue at the same site.

The synagogue was located in the city proper, right by the defensive wall running along today’s Jagiellońska Street. Initially, it had a single room (dimensions: 18 × 12 m) which could only be used by men. In its centre stood a bimah surrounded by four columns serving as structural support. With time, the main body of the building was expanded with several annexes used for various purposes. They housed a yeshiva (Torah study hall) and two prayer rooms. The synagogue underwent renovation in the years 1910–1914 and was decorated with a Polish-style attic.

During World War II, the synagogue was destroyed by the Germans. Its ruins were pulled down by decision of the erstwhile authorities.

The photo was purchased for the collection of the National Museum of Przemyśl from a resident of Przemyśl in 1977.