The Jewish community of Teplice is striving for the restoration of the dilapidated synagogue in Louny.

Louny - The Jewish community of Teplice is striving to restore the dilapidated synagogue in Louny. They have now uncovered the buried cellar located beneath the monument. The aim was to determine whether there was water in it that could be causing the building to deteriorate, which was not confirmed. In a few years, the building near the square may be opened to the public after repairs. This was stated to ČTK by the chairman of the Teplice Jewish community, Michael Lichtenstein.

The state returned the Louny synagogue to the Jews in 2003. The building, erected in 1871, served them until the beginning of World War II. After the war, it first became a museum depot and later an archive. During the next 50 years, a mezzanine was created in the building, which will need to be demolished. At that time, the synagogue was purchased by the People's Cooperative Construction, which is responsible for the installation of a reinforced concrete floor at the first-story level. In 1967, the District National Committee of Louny bought the building, and the monument again began to serve as an archive. The depot is gradually moving to new premises, according to Lichtenstein, this will take at least another year. The synagogue also suffered from the insensitive demolition of the neighboring building in 2006, which caused cracks in the eastern wall.

Later, after the demolition of the building next to the synagogue, the builders also had the cellar, which is a cultural monument, filled in, the chairman said. There is a spring in it, and therefore there were concerns that the cellar could be flooded. "There is no water anywhere on the floor, which means we will continue with the adaptation of the interior spaces," Lichtenstein clarified the plans. Among the adaptations are the structural reinforcement of the building or the removal of the mezzanine. "We were afraid that if there was water, it would compromise the flooring and it would all collapse," the chairman noted.

According to the authors of the feasibility study, the cost of the repair will be about 30 million crowns, but Lichtenstein said it would be higher. After reconstruction, the synagogue will serve the public as a cultural center, where concerts and other events will take place. "Most synagogues that have been restored in the Czech Republic under the care of the Federation of Jewish Communities have the same use. That means they are either museums, cultural or educational centers," Lichtenstein stated. The Jewish community has entered into negotiations with the watchmaking company Bulova, founded by a native of Louny. "We would like to remind the world that this company originated here, and they could have a museum here. They could possibly contribute to that," Lichtenstein outlined plans for financing.

The synagogue has preserved original paintings and stained glass, which will need to be restored. During the next year, the Teplice Jewish community would then like to invite experts to conduct a study in the attic space. "There have been found fragments of prayer books. This means that no one has ever been there, and it is possible that some original documents may be found there," added the chairman.

Last year, the Teplice Jewish community had the rafters completely repaired and cleaned, which had been attacked by various fungi and molds. In the next year, some more damaged rafters will be replaced with new ones, for which the Jewish community is now seeking funds.