Bognár

 Alexandra  –  Art  History  

 
 
“Choose  a  western  visual  artist  or  architect  and  a  non-­‐western  artist  or  architect  who  lived  
during  the  same  time  period  (eg.  15th  century,  19th  century  etc.).  Examine  and  compare  their  
works  from  a  transcendental/religious/philosophical  point  of  view.”

Basilica of Szent István

and the

Synagogue in Dohány utca

Art History
2010.11.02.
Bognár Alexandra

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

Basilica of Szent István and the Synagogue in Dohány utca

This essay is going to explore a western and an eastern building built in the same
city, they are even situated less than a kilometer away from each other. Both were
built in the same century, what differentiates them is basically the religion behind
them not the architect’s approach since both of them were western.

Until 2010 if anyone mentioned the term “Synagogue” people thought about the
one in Dohány utca. There were some who might have had some memories about one
in Óbuda which once functioned as a Synagogue and is being renovated now. This
essay is going to demonstrate the history of the synagogue mentioned above and the
basilica including how and by whom they were designed, planned. After a short
introduction to their construction history, religious differences will be highlighted
which therefore made differences in the interior design and arrangement.

The term - synagogue according to the www.faqs.org means: A Jewish place

which “serves many purposes. It is a house of prayer, of course, because people go
there to pray in group-prayer. It is a house of assembly, because people assemble
there for social events, such as dinners, fundraisers, and other non-religious activities.
It is a house of study because life-long learning is a part of Judaism: we teach our
children there, and we teach ourselves there through adult education.” (www.faqs.org,
accessed on 2010.10.29.)

A synagogue is not a temple and Jewish people are extremely sensitive to this
topic because they say that they have only one temple, that is in Jerusalem. According
to Jewish tradition, this was the only place where sacrifices were performed. It was
destroyed by the Romans around the 1st century. Now, Jewish people believe that
“The Temple” will be rebuilt when the Messiah comes.

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

Synagogue in Dohány utca

The synagogue’s length: 53.1 m

The synagogue’s width: 26.5 m
The synagogue’s inner nave until the sanctuary’s podium: 37.9 m long, 24.6 m wide,
26 m high
The ark of the covenant: 8,2 m high
There are 1492 men and 1472 women seats

The Synagogue

Its size represented the importance, richness, the high-level economic and
cultural need of that time’s Jewry. At the end of 1850s, requested by the community
grown to 30.000, a synagogue building committee was formed, led by the chief rabbi
Löw Schwab. For its architecture, more than 150 years ago, entries were invited for
competition for which the most famous and illustrious engineers made technical

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

proposals. 3 architect were asked to make plans: Feszl Frigyes, Hild József and
Ludwig Förster. Finally, Ludwig Förster, a German architect and teacher of the
Academy of Vienna won the tender by his arabesque plan. Meanwhile, he projected
the synagogue in Vienna as well. Förster and his contemporaries thought that the
Islamic construction is the descendant of the Ancient-East, moreover the Temple in
Jerusalem could had been built in this style. (Zsinagógák Magyarországon, p. 58)

It took less than 4 years to finish the building (this is a ridiculously short period),
it was inaugurated on the 6th of September in 1859. The overseer was Wechselmann
Ignác architect (who later left all his money to the Institution of Blind) and he was
said to be a wizard in constructing it. When Förster was away, even his Hungarian
rival Feszl Frigyes (the architect of the Vígadó) worked on the project, the inner
chacel was his work.
(www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu, accessed 2010.10.28.)

The deep Easter impact, the colourful bricks, the inner space’s cast-iron
structure were all innovations at the time of the synagogue’s construction. The  whole  
exterior  of  the  building  is  faced  with  ceramics. At that time, it was the biggest such
a Synagogue, now it shares this “position” with the one in Amsterdam.

The Synagogue’s front has to look towards the east, towards Jerusalem therefore
there is a tiny break at the entrance of the building, since it is different from the
direction of the street.

Basilica of Szent István

The term basilica according to answers.com: “1, A public building of ancient

Rome having a central nave with an apse at one or both ends and two side aisles
formed by rows of columns, which was used as a courtroom or assembly hall. 2, A
Christian church building of a similar design, having a nave with a semicircular apse,
two or four side aisles, a narthex, and a clerestory.” (www.answers.com, accessed on
2010.10.29.)

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

The Basilica

Hild József (previously mentioned: he was later asked to make a plan for the
Synagogue) got the order in the year of 1845, and the ground works started in 1846
but history interfered the project therefore during the revolution, the works were
paused. The actual work on the building began only in 1851. Hild József designed a
classicist style, he supervised the building until his unfortunate death in 1867. Later it
turned out that both the construction-material and the workmanship proved not to be
corresponding therefore the walled up cupola poured. Clearing away all the debris and
the deconstruction of the badly-built parts lasted until 1871. For these works and also,
for the re-planning of the basilica Ybl Miklós was requested. He designed a neo-
renaissance-styled construction which he coordinated until his death in 1891. The
final inner-design was overseen by Kauser József who finished with the construction
in 1905. It was on the 9th of November in the very same year when it was inaugurated.
(www.bazilika.biz, accessed: 2010.10.26.)

Religious differences can result in the differences of the interior designs.

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Compulsory objects

While the basilica is rich in fine art: statues and paintings, these objects can not
be seen in the synagogue. Artworks, such as the mosaics by Székely Bertalan and
Than Mór at the hall with the embossing of Szent István by Senyei Károly are all part
of the amazing art-tour in the basilica.

Round the cupola the representation of God, on the surface of the tambur
Christ’s, prophets’ and evangelists’ can be found, made by Lotz Károly.

The cupola – Lotz Károly

On the sanctuary’s dome, the allegories of the mass form a line in Benczúr
Gyula’s mosaics.

Altarpainting – Benczúr Gyula

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

Szent István’s main life stages are animated by the bronze series of embossing
of Mayer Ede. The main baldachin-altar was designed by Kauser József and is being
decorated by Stróbl Alajos’s statue of Szent Isván.

Main-baldachin altar

There are compulsory attachments that can be found in every Christian temples.
An example can be a cross with Jesus on it. In most cases, there are sculptors and
paintings about Jesus, Mary, saints, evangelists, angels etc. Biblical scenes are being

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represented. This was the case, not just because Christianity does not accept or apply
the 2nd commandment but also because long ago the majority of the population did not
read or write. This was the privilege of Christian clericals. Therefore, in order to make
it possible for everyone to understand and actually know what happened images
meant a good solution.

The basilica has a special relic called the “Szent Jobb”. It is the naturally
mummified right hand of king Szent István. From the 20th of August, 1987 (this was
the day when cardinal Dr. Paskai László sanctified the chapel of Szent Jobb) is being
stored in the basilica. Every year, on the day of Szent István there is an appealing
procession by which the relic is being brought all around the country.
(www.bazilika.biz, accessed on 2010.10.29.)

Szent Jobb

As previously mentioned, such images can not be found in Jewish ‘temples’.

This is because of the 2nd commandment, which banned any usage of such images for
the followers of the Jewish religion.

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

Jewish traditions are pretty strict, there are basic and compulsory objects that
have to be found in every synagogue, for example the ark of the covenant or the
Torah roll. In the synagogue in Dohány utca, on the head of the ark of the covenant
there is a cupola, this is also Feszl Frigyes’s work as well as all the furniture (which
he made pretty special since it can be passed around from 3 sides), the 12-branched
candelabra and the painting. It gives an impression of a “house in a house” therefore it
reminds the temple (of Jerusalem): the saint of saints. In front of the ark of the
covenant there is an eternal flame to which stairs show the way, while to the altar the
rabbi and the Levite-chorus has to “climb” 15 stairs. The ark of covenant is covered
with velvet curtain on which Hebrew text and Jewish symbols can be find (e.g. the
menorah, Solomon’s seal, lion and the crown). In the ark of covenant, the Torah roll
is held. (www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu, accessed 2010.10.28.)

Ark of the covenant (door opened)

There are very strict rules how the torah should look. According to sizes: it can
be at most 6-hand high and 2-hand wide. (6 hand = 1 ell) Originally, there were not
enough copies from the torah (Moses wrote only 14), therefore those who “deserve”
can copy the torah. Its writing is even regulated, it is prohibited to write continuously:

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

every word and letter should be written separately. This “handwriting” is so highly
admired that jews consider it one of the 10 miracles done before sabbat.
The menorah is also an example, it is always the same, in other words: we all
know how it should look, innovation could happen only in case of its implementation.
The same is applied when thinking of the symbol of the Solomon’s seal.

Doors decorated with Solomon’s seal

The 10 commandments, which according to the Exodus, was written by god’s

finger into stone and given to Moses contain the religious and moral imperatives that
have to be kept by every follower. Between  the  two  onion-­‐shaped  
spires  of  the  towers  stand  the  two  scriptural  stone  tablets  with  the  Ten  
Commandments.  

The 10 commandments (outside)

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Bognár  Alexandra  –  Art  History  

Women

Women are treated differently in the two religions – therefore the interior design
for seating is also different. While in case of Christianity, women can sit next to men,
jewish traditions separate the sexes (there are men seats and women seats). Moreover,
in case of orthodox synagogues (the one in Dohány utca is neolitic) there are even
curtains because they say that if men see women they are physically not able to focus
on the pray. It is also interesting that while jews ban the oncoming of men and women
inside the “temple”, they are happily aware of the importance of sexuality. This is
untrue for Christianity, which isolated religion from relationships.

Appearance

It is a common feature of the two religions that they both necessitate that the
shoulders and knees have to be covered, unless you are not allowed to enter the
sanctuary (in other words: you are disrespectful if you are undressed). In case of the
synagogue, entering bare-headed is also prohibited, men have to wear a kipa while
women a kerchief.

A significant difference in the religions is how they treat black and white. It is
generally known that black is the ‘colour’ for mourning. What we do not know is that
this is not a world-wide general habbit just a Christian tradition. Jews wear white in
funerals, they say that white is the ‘colour’ for mourning and purgation, while
Christianity consider white for festivity.

Religious Events connected to the buildings

The weekly “events” are also different, in case of jewish religion, Saturday – the
sabbat is being “celebrated” on Fridays before darkness, while masses are held on
Sundays in Christianity. (Therefore, the days for resting in jewish traditions is the
Saturday, while Christians relax on Sundays.) Habbits are common: reading out from
the Bible/Torah and praying. It is also interesting that while in case of Christianity

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you are advised to go to the church on Sunday, jews are advised to go to the
synagogue a day before Saturday.
There is a jewish holiday called Simchat Torah which celebrates the existence of the
Torah and it is when all the synagogue's Torah rolls are removed from the ark and are
carried around the sanctuary.

Music

Music – as it is usually a case in religious life – plays an important role in not

just religious events but the buildings’ acoustics provide a wonderful opportunity for
concerts. Both the synagogue and the basilica have a beautifully sound organ. The
organ in the synagogue has 5000 fifes. On the opening, Liszt Ferenc and Saint-Saens
played on the original organ. The space, the atmosphere and the acoustics together
form a prestigious and rich environment.

Organ of the Basilica

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The basilica has 6 bells, which even have their own, “personal” names (Árpád-házi
Szent Erzsébet harang, Szent Imre herceg harang, Boldog Gizella harang, Szent II.
Henrik német-római császár harang, Nagyboldogasszony harang, Szent István
nagyharang) The naming suggest the viewer (and also represent) the importance of
them.
(www.bazilika.biz, accessed: 2010.10.26.)

It was clearly seen that while the Basilica’s style could have even be changed.
This was partly because time passed while constructing it (paused during the
revolution) and it made possible and even needed to re-plan from the very beginning.
Such an altering can never happen with a synagogue since the basic construction
requirements are regulated. However, the synagogue went over a tragic period – the
2nd World War -, in 1944 the ghetto of Budapest was established there. In the nearer
streets and in the synagogue more than 70.000 people were squeezed and the garden
soon became a mass-grave. But now, the Synagogue is in its original beauty and it is a
national monument as well as the Basilica of Szent István. The design was not just the
result of the architects’ creativity, it is about what the religion tolerates, accepts and
expects.

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References:

Basilica:

A templom története, MCOnet Magyarország, accessed on 2010.10.26.,

http://bazilika.biz/a-templom-tortenete/a-templom-tortenete_4526_488572.html

A szent jobb története, MCOnet Magyarország, accessed on 2010.10.26.,

http://bazilika.biz/a-szent-jobb-tortenete/a-szent-jobb-tortenete_4527_488568.html

A bazilika harangjai, MCOnet Magyarország, accessed on 2010.10.26.,

http://bazilika.biz/a-bazilika-harangjai/a-bazilika-harangjai_4523_488561.html

A bazilika orgonája, MCOnet Magyarország, accessed on 2010.10.26.,

http://bazilika.biz/a-bazilika-orgonaja/a-bazilika-orgonaja_4520_488556.html

Basilica, Answers corporation, accessed on 2010.10.29.,

http://www.answers.com/topic/basilica

Synagogue:

A zsinagóga építészete, A dohány utca zsinagóga oldala, accessed on 2010.10.28.,

http://www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu/page2/page3/page3.html

Az orgona, A dohány utca zsinagóga oldala, accessed on 2010.10.28.,

http://www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu/page2/page7/page7.html

Interview with a jewish friend named Jambrik Alexandra who is studying at Scheiber
Sándor secondary school

What is a synagogue?, Advameg Inc., accessed on 2010.10.29.,

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/05-Worship/section-8.html

Podonyi H. and Tóth J., Zsinagógák Magyarországon, Viva Média Holding Kiadó,
Budapest, pp 54-62.

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