Two photographs of the old synagogue in Tarnów – one shows the synagogue standing in its full splendor before the war (photographed c. 1930s), and the other shows the last remnant that remained – the pillars that once surrounded the bimah, which survived after the synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis on Kristallnacht in November 1939 (photographed c. early 1940s).
The old synagogue in the city of Tarnów, Poland, was one of the most prominent landmarks of the local Jewish community and was considered one of the most impressive and oldest synagogues in Galicia. It was founded in 1581 and built in the late Renaissance style. The structure was made of stone, with thick walls, a high ceiling, a magnificent Torah ark, and a women’s gallery. It served as the main synagogue of Tarnów’s large Jewish community—one of the most notable communities in Galicia. For centuries, it was a spiritual, religious, and communal center for the Jews of the city. Following Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939, Tarnów was occupied very early. Already on November 9, 1939, during what would later be called the “Polish Kristallnacht” due to the wave of destruction against Jews in Poland, the Germans set fire to the old synagogue. The building was engulfed in flames and completely destroyed, except for one wall—the wall of the Torah ark—which remained standing. (Some of the synagogue’s sacred items were found by a Polish resident of Tarnów who safeguarded them until his death. Years later, his son transferred several of these objects, including a Hanukkah menorah from the synagogue, to the “Shem Olam” Institute.) To this day, the remnant wall of the synagogue stands in the heart of Tarnów (visible in the second photograph presented here) and serves as a memorial site for the annihilated community. Of the 25,000 Jews of Tarnów, almost no trace remains. The Nazis destroyed the community and any vestige of Jewish life.
Photographs: 12×10 cm and 13×8 cm. Remnants of album mounting on the reverse. Minor stains. Good condition.
