The Synagogue Unter the White Stork and her genitilty condition

Abstract

The Synagogue Unter the White Stork and her genitilty condition

Synagogue architecture in the 19th century Lower Silesia does not Have its own monograph. Most of the publications concern the Synagogue Under the White Stork in Wrocław, which represents the classical architecture. The neoclassical building was designed by an eminent German architect, Carl Ferdinand Langhans (1781–1869) and opened in 1829. His project presented the Synagogue on the longitudinal plan. The main prayen hall is surrounded on three sides with womens galleries. Two levels of galleries to the north and two on the sout flnk single gallery on the eastern Torah ark wall. The orginal interior, now last, was designer by painter Raphael Biow (1773–1836) and his son Hermann Biow (1804–1850). It is considered a sterling example of 17th-century Protestant sacralen art. (church in Chareton, 1622–1623, Salomon de Brosse) and 17th-century Sephardic synagogue in Amsterdam (1671–75), Ellias Bouvman). The core of this article is an attempt to indicate the genesis of an architectural form of the orginal building. It seems that what inflenced most both the architectural form and disposition with their decorations was siscussion led in the 17 th c. in The Republic of the United Provinces. The discussion was aroused both by Villalpando’s work and Josephus Flavius’s considerations. As Carl Gotthard Langhans had the opportunity to get acquainted with ame edifies following the pattern of Salomon’s Temple (Mareker and Hofje van Broukhoven in Leiden and the town hall in Amsterdam among others) we can presume that he passed this knowledge on his son, who later created the seat of Synagogue Unter the White Stork.