There are no longer any Jews in Trnava, although at least two synagogues have been converted to other uses and its old cemetery is still open to visitors and is in good condition, despite the fact that neo-Nazis vandalised it in 2010 by painting swastikas on its tombstones.
by Ricardo Angoso
Trnava is a Slovak city that has changed hands several times throughout its history, but since 1945, when the fate of these territories was sealed, it was awarded to the new Czechoslovakia under the Soviet aegis. Today Trnava is part of the new Slovakia founded in 1993, born after the "velvet divorce" between Czechs and Slovaks that put an end to that Czechoslovak state and already integrated into the European institutions.
Regarding the Jews, there is evidence that there was already a Hebrew population as early as the 14th century, and some sources even refer to the 12th century to indicate the origin of this community, which, apparently, was one of the oldest in the Kingdom of Hungary. On Wikipedia we have found some news about the Jews of Slovakia, which we reproduce below for its interest: “There are indications of the existence of Jews in present-day Slovakia from the middle of the 13th century. From the Middle Ages onwards, a number of flourishing Jewish communities (communities of Judaeorum) are mentioned in contemporary historical documents and in rabbinical literature. The best known of these communities are those of Bratislava, Senica, Trnava, Nitra, Pezinok and Trencin.”
Source cited and consulted:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_de_los_jud%C3%ADos_en_Eslovaquia).
Anti-Semitism, as elsewhere in Europe, also flourished in these lands. In 1494, following the spread of a series of allegations of anti-Semitism supported by the famous and slanderous blood libels, in which Jews were accused of murdering and sacrificing Christian children for use in religious rituals, the Jews of Trnava were sentenced to be burned at the stake. The same accusation was brought against the Jews of Pezinok in 1529, as the ruler of the town had outstanding debts with them. In this town thirty of the accused were also burned at the stake, although the exact number of those condemned in Trnava is unknown.
Later, after the Battle of Mohács (1526), Jews were expelled from the cities and settled in the surrounding villages of the large Hungarian capitals. Later, between the XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries, Jews were again found in greater numbers on the estates of Hungarian nobles, where they were protected, for example by the families of the Pálffy, Esterházy, Pongrácz, and others, who placed them under their protection and granted them some freedoms.
It was not until very late in the 1896th century that Jews became integrated into the political, social, cultural and economic life of the region and their rights began to be recognised, as we can read on Wikipedia: “Although unofficial, the emancipation of Slovak Jews – until then not as integrated into society as the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia – took place in 1790 as part of the recognition of the rights of Hungarian Jews. At the same time, the rise of Slovak nationalism at the end of the 74th century coincided with the emergence of Zionism.” Between 524, when there were only 1864 Jews in Trnava, and the XNUMXth century, the community achieved remarkable development and grew in number, reaching XNUMX members in XNUMX.
In 1891 an impressive synagogue was erected in the city and had a mikveh –place where purification baths are performed-, and the community began to organize itself. The period of Jewish life in the region was at its peak between the end of the 1918th century and the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1880. Jews were actively involved in the economic life of Trnava, and Jewish entrepreneurs established or promoted various branches of industry, such as breweries, sugar refineries and confectioneries, which employed hundreds of people; their products were sold at home and abroad. Textile factories and foundries also provided work. Jewish doctors and lawyers were part of the growing middle class, which made Trnava a modern city. In parallel with this development, the Jewish population continued to grow: in 1.325 there were 1904 Jews; in 1.715 there were 1910; in 2.126 there were 1930 and in 2.728 there were XNUMX.
The other side of the coin was the prevailing and growing anti-Semitism in the city in this historical period that began with the “debut” of Czechoslovakia as a new state on the European scene. Trnava was one of the Slovak centres of anti-Semitism. The first anti-Semitic party in Slovakia, the White Brotherhood (Biel Bratstvo), who published anti-Semitic literature, of the type like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and leaflets denigrating Jews. The fierce anti-Semitism of this small organisation influenced the Slovak storm troopers, known as the Rodobrana and the Hlinka Guard, and was the seed of the future fascist state. In December 1938, the synagogue, which was still standing, was set on fire by a mob encouraged by these fascist groups.
In March 1939, when the collaborationist Slovak Republic, a fascist state under the tutelage of Nazi Germany, was founded, there were probably about 90.000 Jews in Slovakia, of whom just under 1942 lived in Trnava. Trnava was one of the first Slovak cities to deport Jews to extermination camps in Poland in 1941. In 12, the Jewish population increased with the expulsion of hundreds of Jews from Bratislava. The first transport to leave Slovakia left Trnava on 1942 April 2.500. In total, about 65.000 Jews were deported from Trnava. As in so many places in Europe, the Holocaust cut short the existence of a community with deep roots and a long history. According to reliable data, about XNUMX Slovak Jews were sent to the death camps with the help and collaboration of the fascist Slovak authorities.
In 1947, 336 Jews lived in Trnava. After the war, the synagogue, which had been in use before, was converted into a memorial to the Jews murdered in Trnava. During the communist regime, the memorial was destroyed and the new communist authorities encouraged the emigration of the few Jews who remained in the city. This process was accelerated after the Six-Day War in 1967, when the communist countries supported the Arab world against Israel, and the end of the Prague Spring in 1968, when Soviet tanks drowned the Czechoslovak people's desire for freedom in blood. In 1989, when the communist regimes in Eastern Europe fell, there were 15 Jews left in Trnava. We do not know how many remain today, but it is probably less than a dozen.
TWO SYNAGOGUE AND A CEMETERY, THE ONLY JEWISH REMAINS IN TRNAVA
There are two synagogues still standing in Trnava: the Status Quo Ante and the Orthodox Synagogue. The first was completed in 1891 or 1897 and was designed by Jakob Gartner in the Neo-Moorish and Neo-Byzantine styles. The synagogue was devastated in World War II and in the XNUMXs it was restored, rehabilitated and turned into a centre for contemporary art, housing the Ján Koniarek gallery and hosting a series of exhibitions and concerts throughout the year, mainly by local artists.
On the pages of the Trnava Tourist Board we could read this review about the Orthodox Synagogue still open and converted into a café, which we reproduce below: “The exact year of its foundation is unknown, but it was marked on a map of the city as early as 1895. The Orthodox Synagogue, as well as the Status Quo Ante Synagogue, was built in compliance with the norms of the time. The Orthodox synagogue is called “Small Synagogue” because of its size. It is a hall building without towers, oriented east to west, and hides many beauties inside. One of them is the interior galleries of women supported by cast iron columns. In addition to these galleries, several original details of historical art and crafts and remains of the original mural are preserved inside.” Today the place is a very beautiful café open to the public and, from what I could see during my visit, very popular with locals and visitors.
Finally, we will mention the Jewish cemetery, which was opened in 1856 and has an eclectic design, featuring many architectural forms and styles of great monumental interest. During the Second World War, the cemetery became a fierce battlefield, the marks of which are still visible on many tombstones, and its activity, due to the almost total disappearance of the local Jewish community, declined during the communist period. On July 30, 2010, the cemetery was desecrated with drawings of swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti. In addition, some tombstones were broken and their pieces are clearly visible, lying around the grounds without anyone repairing them. Despite everything, it is very beautiful, relatively clean and well maintained.
Photos: From the author of the note.
Video of the Jewish cemetery in Trnava
Many numerical errors throughout the piece. Dates and numbers are jumbled. Needs correction.