In memory
כאן עמד בית הכנסת הטורקי של העדה הספרדית, שנבנה בין השנים 1885-1887 ונהרס ב-ט"ז בחשון תרצ"ט.
Here stood the Turkish Temple of the Sephardic community, built in 1885 - 1887 and destroyed on November 10, 1938.
The synagogue in Zirkusgasse 22
Zirkusgasse 22 was the most important space of the Sephardic community in Vienna until 1938. Where the block of councilor flats stand nowadays, the Sephardic community had a synagogue, built between 1885 – 1887; the so-called Turkish Temple. The Viennese architect Hugo Ritter von Wiedenfeld (1852 - 1925) was commissioned with the planning. He had specialized in neo-Moorish architectural style, with oriental-influenced elements such as arches and mosaics.
A celebrated work of art
The design of the synagogue was mainly based on Western Islamic architecture, especially on the Spanish Alhambra - probably in reference to the Sephardic Jews who originally came from Spain. The temple was inaugurated with a festive ceremony on September 18, 1887. On the streetfront stood an imposing stone portal with minaret-like turrets, through which one would enter the forecourt. One step behind rose the richly decorated facade of the temple, above which was a twelve-meter-high dome with star-shaped window openings. The octagonal prayer room was decorated in marble and gold. In total the building could accommodate over 600 worshippers, making it the largest Turkish synagogue in Europe. Celebrated as one of the most magnificent temples in Central Europe, it served as a model for many other Sephardic temples.