The Great Synagogue of Leszno was one of dozens synagogues that existed in the city for over three centuries. It was built in 1626 under the charter of the then owners of the borough, Rafał V and Bogusław Leszczyński. Rebuilt several times after subsequent fires in the city (1656, 1707, 1767, 1790), it has survived to modern times. The earliest known images of it can be seen on panoramas of the city from the first half of the 18th century. The last reconstruction of the synagogue – according to the design by architects Paul and Richard Ehrlich from Wrocław – took place in 1904-1905 (E. Leszczyńska, Synagoga w Lesznie [in:] "Kronika Wielkopolski" 1995, no. 4, pp. 67-85).
During World War II, the synagogue was used as a warehouse. After 1945, it served as the municipal bath and again as a warehouse. At the turn of 1956/1957, the upper part of the tower was pulled down. The main hall was then divided by a reinforced concrete ceiling. In 1992, the building was handed over to the District Museum in Leszno. The official opening of the new Art Gallery took place in 2006.
The postcard with a view of the Leszno synagogue, which is in the collection of the District Museum in Leszno, shows the building from the eastern side, with an added tower mass and two lower annexes. The tower was covered with a distinctive onion-shaped dome, reminiscent of oriental architectural style. It was topped with the Star of David and the triangular gables used elements of Jewish symbolism: the Tablets of Stone and the Shield of David. In front of the representative front elevation, a metal gate and a decorative wrought-iron fence can be seen. In the upper left corner of the postcard, there is the inscription: "Leszno – Synagoga" (Leszno – Synagogue).
On the reverse side of the postcard, in the centreline, there is the publishing address: "Wydawnictwo Graficzne, Spółka z o.o., Wrocław". According to the postmark, the card was sent from Leszno on 5 June 1919 and its addressee was Miss Käte Nerger, resident in Twardocice near Złotoryja. The address and correspondence were written in pencil in German.
The Graphic Publishing House was active in the first half of the 20th century. The company produced postcards with views of towns in Lower and Upper Silesia, Greater Poland, Brandenburg and Pomerania.
The postcard was purchased in 1999 from Mieczysław Janik from Mosina, owner of the "Filokartysta" mail order antique shop.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
