Obj. ID: 1355
Jewish Architecture  Old Synagogue in Pińczów - Main prayer hall

To the main object: Old Synagogue in Pińczów, Poland

The square prayer hall (9.5 m x 9.5 m) is covered with a groin vault ceiling with lunettes. The narrow window of the women's section, which is adjacent to the northern side of the prayer hall, is situated on the upper floor between the lunettes. Fragments of polychrome in a deep blue color was preserved on the vault and around the lunettes. This coloring emphasizes the architectural design and was probably added during a reconstruction in 1930. (Piechotka, M., and K. Piechotka, Bramy Nieba: Bóznice murowane na ziemiach dzwnei Rzeczypospolitej, p.141). A description by Kandel that was published in 1912 describes the feeling of the interior: “The vault were covered with varios images of mystical animals representing the twelve months of the year, as well as fragments of Scripture” (Kandel Dawid, “Bóźnica w Pinczowie”, Kwartalnik poświęcony badaniu przeszłości Żydow w Polsce, R.I,1912, z.II – dodatek, Bóznices starożytne w Polsce, s.25-35).

Traces of inscriptions are visible on the walls and on both sides of the niche of Torah ark. The magnificent Renaissance Torah ark was completely restored in the 2000s. The picture from 1994 shows only the niche of the Torah ark, and not the ark itself.