Restoration of the City Temple: Vienna Pays a Third

ORF, January 29, 2025

German original: https://wien.orf.at/stories/3291051/

The city of Vienna is paying a third of the costs incurred in the restoration of the Jewish City Temple in Seitenstettengasse. In total, the project is expected to cost around ten million euros. The federal government could take over another third, with the rest being financed by donations.

Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and the President of the Jewish Community Vienna, Oskar Deutsch, announced the (planned) distribution of the costs. The City Temple is considered the spiritual center of the Jewish community in Vienna and is the largest synagogue in Austria. It was built in 1826 by Joseph Kornhäusl, who also designed the tower named after him in the center of Vienna, the Theater in Josefstadt and the Husarentempel in Mödling.

One million euros already donated

The restoration work is to begin this fall and should be completed within a year. For Deutsch, the project is also a sign that Jewish culture is to be continued in Vienna. The Jewish Community plans to finance another third of the restoration costs through donations. According to Deutsch, about one million euros have already been raised through fundraising.

Eine Finanzierung eines weiteren Drittels durch den Bund ist noch nicht zugesagt. Allerdings habe man mit allen Parteien diesbezüglich positive Gespräche geführt, so Deutsch. Ausnahme bleibt die FPÖ, mit der die Kultusgemeinde per Beschluss nicht spricht. Der IKG-Präsident nutzte den Auftritt mit Ludwig auch, um abermals vor einer Regierungsbeteiligung der FPÖ zu warnen. „Wir werden politisch auch wieder bessere Zeiten haben“, merkte er aber an.