The Jewish ceremonial hall in Břeclav is opening to the public after reconstruction

Břeclav - After decades of neglect, the Jewish ceremonial hall in Břeclav will open to the public this weekend. Today, representatives of the Jewish community and the city officially opened the newly reconstructed building. The work was completed last autumn, but afterward, the building had to dry out after the restorers' interventions; in spring, benches and public lighting were added around it.

"The opening of the hall to the public will symbolically begin on Saturday at 13:37, the number seven is sacred in Jewish law. The program for the ceremonial opening was prepared by the municipal library in Břeclav, and the patron of the event is actor Pavel Nový," said city spokesperson Ivana Solaříková.

The city had the monument repaired for more than 22 million crowns excluding VAT. Břeclav obtained a grant of 11 million crowns for the repairs thanks to cooperation with the Slovak town of Sládkovičovo through the cross-border cooperation program Interreg.

During the repairs, it was necessary to coordinate with experts to achieve the most accurate shades of the stained glass, stones, or wood. Craftsmen repaired the damaged vault, stucco decorations, and the roof with ceramic coverings and decorative dormers. The brick façade of the building from 1892 has been cleaned and cleared of climbing plants.

The hall was built in 1892 by the Kuffner family, a business-oriented Austro-Hungarian and later Austrian, Slovak, and Czech family of Jewish faith. The Kuffners mainly operated in Břeclav, from where they originated, in today's Czech Republic. The most notable member was Hermann Kuffner, the first Jewish mayor of Břeclav, a sugar factory owner elevated to nobility in 1900. The second branch of the Kuffner family, represented by Karl Kuffner, operated in today's Slovak Sládkovičovo, where a historic sugar factory, family tomb, and church stand.