Synagogue in Maribor

The restored synagogue in Maribor is one of the oldest preserved synagogues in Europe and the most important monument of Jewish culture in Slovenia. Today, the 700-year-old building is a cultural institution where you can visit exhibitions, concerts, literary evenings, and lectures. The synagogue is located in the square Židovski trg.

Maribor Jews in the Middle Ages

The synagogue was first mentioned in 1354, although it most likely stood in the early 14th century. During this period, a rabbi's house, a Talmudic school, and the first Jewish cemetery stood in its vicinity, as well as a ritual bath (mikveh) along the Drava River, but these buildings have not been preserved. A rabbi Israel/Isserlein ben Petachia named Marburg was born in Maribor around 1390 and is considered to be the most influential rabbi of the Roman-German Empire in the 15th century.

In 1497, on the orders of the ruler Maximilian I of Habsburg, the Jews had to leave Styria and thus Maribor, which until then had been the most important centre of Judaism in the area of ​​present-day Slovenia. After emigrating, some Jews from Maribor took the surname Morpurgo in memory of Maribor. Today, there are about 2300 people with this surname, which is an indirect evidence of the former Jewish significance of Maribor.

Changed purpose of use

In 1501, the synagogue was converted into the Catholic Church of All Saints, and after 1785 it was remodelled and used as a warehouse. Five hundred years after the building on Židovski trg lost its original purpose, the synagogue was restored, but is not used as a religious building. Since 2011, the Center of Jewish Cultural Heritage Synagogue Maribor has been operating in it, the main purpose of which is to study, preserve and nurture this heritage in Slovenia. In 2015, the synagogue was declared a Cultural monument of national importance.

Intercultural and interfaith dialogue

The synagogue organizes cultural and scientific events to revive it as a space for intercultural and interfaith dialogue.