The first Jews arrived in Sandomierz in the thirteenth century and the first synagogue in Sandomierz was built in 1255.[1] By the 16th century, the town was one of the largest Jewish communities in Poland, according to taxation records. The Jewish community was attacked during the Swedish Wars by both Swedish and Polish forces. In 1712, Jews were expelled from the city by Augustus II, the King of Poland. The first synagogue was destroyed by fire.[2]
Despite the official decree, the brick synagogue was built in 1768 in the Polish Baroque style, after the old synagogue burned down again for the last time in 1758. Annexed by Austria; the town became part of the Kingdom of Poland in 1815.[2] The building was renovated several times in its history, notably in 1872, 1911 and 1929. This new synagogue was used for nearly two centuries before it was devastated by the Nazis during World War II, and abandoned by the community during the Holocaust.[3]
The building still exists, however, is no longer used as a synagogue. A subsequent renovation in the 1970s has enabled the building to be used as a repository for the Polish State Archives.[4]
^Ezkera, Eth (November 28, 2020). Feldenkreiz–Grinbal, Eva; Dror, Levi; Rav, Joseph (eds.). "Whenever I remember". The Life and Annihilation Of the Tzoyzmir Jews. JewishGen. p. 575. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
.svg){kind=small}