Szegő Dóra - Szegő György: Synagogues - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2004)

The Nagy Fuvaros utca Synagogue

■ Synagogue interior in Nagy Fuvaroi utca

Boulevard, lived the wealthier representatives of the bourgeoisie, whereas the area in the vicinity of Teleki tér attracted poorer settlers. There were smaller prayer-houses in the district before the 1920s. The synagogue at 4 Nagy Fuvaros utca was consecrated in 1922. The house on the plot was built as early as 1897 to house József Kaufmann's restaurant and later functioned as the Józsefváros Casino. The building was bought from Zsigmond Grosz in the early 1920s by the Philanthropic Association. The first drafts of the reconstruction were made by Lipót Baumhorn, while the final designs were created by Dezső Freund. Freund’s name also appears on the list of the most munificent donors of the fund for the synagogue inside a residential house. On the outside, there is nothing to betray that the building functions as a synagogue. Inside are the rooms of the temple, the culture hall, and the kitchen of the association. The synagogue was created inside the courtyard with a lobby converted from the former restaurant on the street front and a women’s gallery opening from the street. The longitudinal prayer-hall is surrounded on three sides by a blue and white gallery supported by sturdy pillars. Between the galleries, the interior is covered by a glass skylight. The supporting structure is made of reinforced concrete. The balustrade of the gallery, the Ark and the bimah are decorated in late-Art-Nouveau-Art-Deco style. The white-gold painted Ark is made of wood. Its two composite columns support

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