The Great Synagogue Memorial Park is a memorial park devoted to the Great Synagogue in Oświęcim, Poland. The Synagogue was destroyed at the beginning of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Location
The park is located at Berka Joselewicza Street in Oświęcim, close to the Market Square, by the Soła river.
History
In 1939, the Great Synagogue in Oświęcim − the largest Jewish temple in the city − was set on fire and demolished by the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
occupiers on the night of November 29th/30th 1939. After the war, the temple was not rebuilt. The place where the synagogue stood was left empty as a testimony to the events of the war. Over the years, trees and shrubs have taken over the empty area previously occupied by the synagogue.
Eighty years after the destruction of the Synagogue, the inhabitants of Oświęcim decided to create a park of commemoration and reflection in this area. The project was initiated by the
Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim
The Auschwitz Jewish Center is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to preserve the memory of the Jewish community of the city of Oświęcim and educate about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and other prejudices and intolerance.
...
and was carried out thanks to a fundraiser, which was attended by the inhabitants of Oświęcim, local entrepreneurs, public institutions, as well as descendants of Oświęcim Jews. The park was opened on November 28, 2019.
Architecture and symbolism
Architecture
In the park, there are plaques telling about the history of the synagogue, benches for visitors with symbolic perforations depicting the signs of the zodiac - reflecting the ornaments of the Great Synagogue - and greenery: a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers. The place is to provide residents and tourists with peace and space for reflection.
The park's design is meant to remind visitors of the shape of the synagogue. Around the centre of the structure and the stone slabs, the architects provided an outline of the temple in the form of a thin curb separating the centre of the park from the surrounding greenery. The main architectural element of the park is a mosaic of forty gray stone slabs. Each of the panels, measuring 120x220 cm, includes "reliefs" formed by grooves of various depths, the appearance of which changes under the influence of changes in lighting - changing weather, sunlight, rain or snow.
The park also has a display with a photo of the synagogue and a spatial model of the synagogue, as well as a plaque with information about the history of the memorial site.
Symbolism
Granite slabs, previously considered
industrial waste
Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity which includes any material that is rendered useless during a manufacturing process such as that of factories, mills, and mining operations. Types of industrial waste include dirt and ...
, were selected for the lines created when the
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
slabs had served as a base for cutting other raw materials. Notches of different depth intersect and cross, which can be read as a symbolic representation of human fates crossing and heading in different directions.
The park was also created to remind people of the pre-war,
multicultural
Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''ethnic'' or cultural pluralism in which various e ...
history of Oświęcim and the tradition of openness to various cultures, religions and traditions.
Architectural awards
The design of the Park and its implementation in the city space have received several nominations and architectural awards:
* Nomination to the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture –