History of the synagogue

Jews began to settle in Lancut in the 16th century. In 1707 the Council of Four Lands met there which shows that the kehilla grew in importance. After the wooden synagogue burnt down, the brick building was erected in 1761 owing to the funding by the town's owner Stanisław Lubomirski who was aware of the beneficial impact the presence of the Jews had on the town's development. The strength of the relationship and peaceful cohabitation manifested in hiring of a Jewish factor to keep the accounts of the estate, and the proximity of the synagogue to the market square and magnate’s residence. 

The interior decorations, mouldings and polychromies, were created in several phases: 1760s., the first and second half of the 18th century, 1909- 1910, 1934-1935. In 1909-1910, the walls of the western women's gallery were raised, stairs leading to the gallery were added, and the entire building was covered with a hip roof.

In September 1939, the Nazis set the synagogue on fire which was put out following the intercession of the estate’s owner Alfred Potocki. Still, the wooden women's gallery, window frames and interior furnishings perished. The Nazis turned the synagogue into a grain storehouse and so it survived until 1956. In 1960 its paintings were renovated again, though superficially and unprofessionally, and the building was turned into a Judaica museum. From 1983 until 1990, more thorough renovations occurred aiming to minimize the damage of the work from the 1960’s.

Łańcut