Koprivnica Synagogue is a former synagogue in

Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total popu ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. In 1869, around a hundred

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

lived in Koprivnica. Although relatively small, the Jewish community of Koprivnica funded the construction of the Koprivnica Synagogue. The synagogue was designed by the architectural firm Hönigsberg & Deutsch and built in 1875, along with a Jewish school. The location of the synagogue, in the heart of Koprivnica, was a prestigious choice at the time. In 1937, the synagogue was thoroughly remodeled by architect

Slavko Löwy Slavko Löwy (August 7, 1904 – April 1, 1996) was well-known Croatian architect. Background, family and education Löwy was born in Koprivnica to a respectable and wealthy Croatian Jewish family, who were engaged in trade. In Koprivnica he att ...

. During World War II, the synagogue was destroyed and used as a prison. The

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

and some other items from the synagogue were saved and are now preserved at the Koprivnica Museum. The Jewish community of Koprivnica was devastated during the war, with most of its members perishing in the Holocaust. The last rabbi of Koprivnica's Jewish community was Izrael Kohn who was taken to the Gospić concentration camp in the night between July 23 and July 24, 1941 and eventually died in Jasenovac. Koprivnica Synagogue is one of the few synagogues in Croatia to survive the war. After the war, under the communist regime of

SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...

, the synagogue was used as a tailoring factory and warehouse. Presently, a small Jewish community still exists in Koprivnica. In 2011, restoration of the Koprivnica Synagogue began and it was listed as a cultural monument.

References

{{Synagogues in Croatia Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Croatia Ashkenazi synagogues Synagogues completed in 1875 Former synagogues in Croatia Koprivnica Buildings and structures in Koprivnica-Križevci County