Standing on Dohány Street, you can see Deak Square. In the second half of the 18th century, the Jews from Óbuda would cross the Danube to sell goods at the fairground which was at today’s Elisabeth Square. They traded grain and cattle, and manufactured and sold leather, linen, and cloth.
Jews settled in Pest in 1786 when József II granted them the right of settlement on the Pest side. After this allowance, Jews settled close to the fair in the narrow streets around the marketplace, making this the first place of residence of the Jewish population in Pest. This is the reason why this part of the city is called the Old Jewish Quarter of Pest.
While the Jews were allowed to settle in Pest, they were not allowed to buy land, so they lived in rented houses and apartments in this neighborhood. Parallel with these first places of residence, Jews set up the first synagogues and other religious and community institutions in this district. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Jewish community of Pest had grown so rapidly that the rented premises serving as synagogues and other community institutions proved insufficient. There was a need for a larger space that reflected the religious beliefs and practices of the community. Thus, the Dohany Street Synagogue was built.
While Jewish life flourished in the 19th century, it was also known as a period of assimilation. Assimilation means the incorporation of the minority society into the majority society. Assimilation was evident in different areas of Jews’ life, for example, in the language, in clothing, and also the relaxed religious practices. The Dohány Street Synagogue was established as the synagogue of the Neolog community (which is similar to the American Conservative community), which is a more assimilated community. This assimilation is reflected in the architecture of the Dohány Street Synagogue, as well as the internal set up.