The association strives for the restoration of the synagogue in Habrech, which will be opened to the public on Sunday

Habry – The Habry Association is working to restore the synagogue in Habry in the Havlíčkův Brod region. It is to become a cultural center with exhibitions commemorating Adolf Stránský (1855 to 1931), who was born in Habry and founded the Lidové noviny newspaper. People will be able to visit the synagogue on August 11 during the Day of Jewish Monuments, Alena Jindrová from the association said today, who is also the director of the Vysočina Museum in Havlíčkův Brod.

The synagogue will host an exhibition from the Jewish Museum in Prague titled Symbols of Emancipation: Synagogues of the 19th Century in the Czech Lands on Sunday. A guided tour by Jaroslav Achab Haidler at the Habry Jewish cemetery will follow the synagogue tour, which opens at 1:00 PM, at 3:00 PM.

The association acquired the synagogue for free last year from the Jewish community in Prague with the aim of restoring it. Previously, the 19th-century building served as a cinema, which has not been in operation for a long time. "This year we submitted a request to the Ministry of Culture to register the synagogue as a cultural monument, which would subsequently lead to a request for grants. For now, we're working on plans for interior modifications," Jindrová said. The Ministry of Culture has not yet made a decision regarding the synagogue. However, the association is already preparing plans for conservation surveys. The exterior of the building resembles a synagogue. Inside, its decoration could be hidden beneath modern modifications.

A permanent exhibition should commemorate the history of Jewish settlement in Habry within the synagogue. "The Habry Jewish community was very assimilated and actively involved in the life of the community. It symbolizes coexistence of different religions and nationalities for us," Jindrová said.

According to Jindrová, the planned memorial dedicated to Stránský has gained relevance as the owner of the Lidové noviny, published since 1893, recently announced that they will cease printed publication in August. The most famous period of the newspaper was during the interwar period of the First Republic. The communist regime abolished Lidové noviny. It resumed publication in 1989.

The synagogue in Habry is documented as of 1648. It burned down 40 years later, but a new one was built in its place. Due to its poor technical condition, it was demolished between 1821 and 1823 and replaced with a new building that served the faithful until 1938. Before World War II, the Habry Jewish community handed over the synagogue to the Evangelical Church, and in 1967 a cinema was established in it.