The building, which is still in use, is the third synagogue of Szeged Jews. The second synagogue, referred to as “old”, still stands today, but is no longer used for religious purposes. As a result of the economy of the mid-1880s, the old synagogue (Hajnóczy utca 12.) turned out to be small. The Jewish population of Szeged, which is growing significantly both numerically and in terms of its economic power, decided to build a church with a larger capacity. The religious community started collecting in 1891. The design competition was won by Lipó Baumhorn, the greatest Hungarian synagogue architect, who renovated and expanded nineteen independent synagogues and another ten.
The Chief Rabbi Immanuel Löw dr. played an indelible role in the establishment of the synagogue. The execution praises the work of János Szilágyi, Ede Schaar and Vilmos Stark. The designated large plot of land provided the opportunity for the building to have a symmetrical layout and a central layout, and its monumentality could be well emphasized. Inaugurated in 1903, the work is one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe, with 740 seats for men and 600 for women.
The various stylistic features of the church, which leans from late eclecticism to art nouveau and uses Moorish and Byzantine elements, were shaped into a unity by the architect with exceptional talent. The synagogue’s support structure, gallery, roof structure, and the elements supporting the dome were made of iron, which were an engineering innovation. The huge dome is the wedge of the church: the curved elements that follow the structure, the large shapes of the roof are bordered by delicate lacework, ornate plate decorations, spiers, and window openings. Following the work of Immanuel Löw, in this Jewish church we find for the first time an inscription in Hungarian on the triumphal arch: “Love your neighbor as yourself!”. Also thanks to the orientalist chief rabbi of the synagogue, the creation of the small biblical botanical garden surrounding the church from the plants of the Holy Land.
The colored glass inside the dome symbolizes the creation of the world. The Art Nouveau stained glass windows depict the most important events in the history and religion of the Jewish people, their master was the glass painter Manó Róth, the brother of Miksa Róth. In the interior of the building, the color harmony of gold, ivory, white and blue creates unity.
The size of the synagogue is also impressive: the height of the external dome structure is 48.5 meters from the pavement level.
