Form, Style and Identity: Synagogues of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy by
Leopold Baumhorn

Orientalism in the middle of the 19^th century was an inherent trait of Jewry in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy – a group whose assimilation efforts went parallel with an emphasis of their distinct origin. Synagogues in Vienna and Budapest designed by Ludwig Förster and Otto Wagner demonstrated two different ways of a potential reconstruction of the Temple of Solomon, and foreshadowed the genre in the Monarchy.

How does the most prolific Budapest-based Hungarian synagogue-architect Leopold Baumhorn (1860-1932) respond to these two preeminent sources in the turn of the century? The 19 individually listed and a further ten already existing, by the architect converted buildings follow the path from orientalism through style trends of the Turn-of-the-Century to return to 19th-century Jewish oriental expression after 1st World War – fitted on modern ferroconcrete system.

Baumhorn`s historicizing, art nouveau and protomodern synagogues corresponded to the self-expression of urban Jewry that reached high social status – be it progressive or conservative style. This is demonstrated not only by the numerous synagogue plans, but also the numerous private commissions from Israelite community members.

My lecture considers Baumhorn’s oeuvre from viewpoint of identity expression of Jewish communities that sought to adapt their buildings to art trends of the turn of the century.