Maribor Synagogue

The Maribor Synagogue stands in the old Jewish quarter of the city, in the Lent district near the Drava, on a lane that still bears the name Židovska ulica, the Street of the Jews. It dates from the Middle Ages, probably the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, and it is among the oldest surviving synagogues in Europe, a rare reminder of the Jewish community that lived in Maribor for several centuries. The community was part of a network of Jewish settlements across Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, and Maribor's community was prosperous enough to build a large and well-appointed house of prayer, close to the town's market and river.

The history of the building reflects the fate of the community. In the late fifteenth century, the Habsburg ruler Emperor Maximilian I ordered the expulsion of the Jews from the province of Styria, and in 1496, the community of Maribor was forced to leave. The synagogue was taken over and converted into a Christian church, and later it was used for other purposes, including a warehouse, so that its original function was gradually forgotten. When the building was studied and restored in the twentieth century, researchers recognised traces of the synagogue: the large rectangular space with its high vaults, a wide niche in the east wall where the Torah ark stood, and fragments of Hebrew inscriptions on stone. These details allow visitors to see the original form of the room and to imagine its use.

Today, the synagogue is looked after as a monument and a place of remembrance. It is used for exhibitions, concerts and commemorations, and it is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, when the Jewish population of Slovenia, small as it was by then, was almost wiped out. The atmosphere inside is calm and thoughtful, and the white walls and vaults provide a dignified setting for the displays. The building is open to visitors at certain times, which may change with the season, and it is best to confirm in advance.

The synagogue is part of a small trail of Jewish heritage in Maribor. The Jewish Tower, which formed part of the city's defences, stands near the Drava, and the Regional Museum, in Maribor Castle, holds objects connected with the community, including medieval tombstones. The lane itself is quiet and atmospheric, and a walk through the quarter gives a sense of how it was laid out. Nearby, the Lent district, the Old Vine House, the Water Tower and the Drava River Promenade make up the rest of the old river quarter, and Maribor Cathedral and Freedom Square Maribor are a few minutes away on foot.