The former synagogue in Prostějov is on sale for 5.49 million crowns

Prostějov – The owners of the former synagogue in the historic center of Prostějov, which has been deteriorating and is in a state of emergency for years, are attempting to sell this religious property through a real estate agency. Last year, they were unsuccessful with an offer to purchase the synagogue addressed to the city. Today, ČTK obtained the information from the real estate agency's advertisement, through which the synagogue is being offered for 5.49 million crowns. The price is 1.3 million crowns lower than what the owners requested for this religious property in the offer sent to the city last year. The council considered the price exorbitant and recommended the municipal assembly to reject it. The assembly then did not support this real estate transaction.

The synagogue has a built area of 146 m² and is located in a heritage zone. "It represents value due to its history and elaborate Empire architecture with attention to detail. Since 1836, it has served as a synagogue. Due to the Holocaust, the building was taken over by the Orthodox Church and was used again as a place of worship until 1969," states the advertisement.

The synagogue building is in a state of emergency, and the National Heritage Institute has listed it as endangered since 2013. Experts, according to the mayor's deputy Milada Sokolová (ODS), assessed the technical condition of the synagogue and estimated that it has compromised stability and securing it would cost more than six million crowns. "The building has visible deficiencies in its interior and exterior. However, it has undergone partial reconstruction to ensure its condition and particularly its stability," stated the real estate agency through which the synagogue is available.

Opposition councilor Martin Hájek (Straightforward!) unsuccessfully proposed a resolution last February for the city to continue negotiations with the owners of the synagogue regarding the conditions of the sale. According to him, the building could host, for example, an exhibition dedicated to Jewish history, and the space could also be used for cultural events after reconstruction.

The synagogue was built in the 90s of the 18th century and was later modified in the Empire style. During World War II, it was closed, and after the war, it came under the ownership of the Orthodox Church. The synagogue then no longer served its original purpose. After 1989, it had several owners, none of whom undertook its repair.