Yeshiva (Rabbinical Academy) in Lublin

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No. 85, Lubartowska Street.

The building is situated near the northern end of Lubartowska St., on its eastern side. It stands on the premises bordered by Lubartowska and Unicka streets. The façade faces the Lubartowska St.

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Talmudical Academy (until 1939).

Medical Academy (1944-2004).

Seat of the Lublin Branch of the Jewish Community in Warsaw (since 2004).

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The initiative of establishing a talmudical academy in Lublin was conceived during a congress of Orthodox Jews in Vienna. Meir Shapiro was the prime mover of building the yeshiva, raising donations all around the world in order to finance its construction. The parcel was donated by Lublin industrialist, Samuel Eichenbaum. Building was designed by Agenor Smoluchowski in 1924. The design was adopted for a yeshiva in 1928. The foundation stone laying ceremony took place in 1924. The solemn opening ceremony came to pass on 21 June 1930. Meir Shapiro was appointed the first rector. During the Second World War Germans arranged a hospital in the yeshiva building. Autumn of 1945 saw location of the Medical Faculty of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in the edifice (the faculty was then converted into the Medical Academy).

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1924 - design of the building made by Agenor Smoluchowski,

22 May 1924 - foundation stone laid,

21 June 1930 - opening of the Rabbinical Academy,

1934 - death of Meir Shapiro,

1939-1944 - the building serves as a hospital,

1945 - the building is handed over to the medical faculty of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (turned into the Medical Academy in 1950),

2004 - building is taken over by Jewish Community in Warsaw.

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Agenor Smoluchowski

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20th century architecture, incorporating Baroque and art deco elements.

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The five storey brick building is built on a rectangular plan, upon a raised basement, with accommodations in the attic, covered with a skillion roof. The main entrance is situated on the axis of the façade, leading directly to the main staircase with three-bay stairway. The entrance is distinct owing to the balcony supported by four pairs of columns.The façade is fifteen-axis, five storey and symmetrical. Vertical and horizontal divisions of the façade are provided by lesenes and engaged columns in Tuscan order. Art deco ornaments can be seen on the third storey, between the windows. Coping is shaped in form of an attic. Formerly it bore hebrew inscription of the name of the school. The building underwent numerous rearrangements, which is proven by secondary divisions of the interior.

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The interior is arranged in three-bay manner on every storey. Communication is possible using the main staircase as well as two side staircases. One of them leads to the women’s hall. The two-storey-high lecture hall, once serving as a prayer hall, occupies the better part of the building. Inside, there are galleries running along three sides of the hall, supported by columns with capitals styled to resemble the Corinthian order.

LiteratureDirect link for this paragraphGo back to indexGo back to index

• Akta miasta Lublina, Inspekcja Budowlana, sygn. 2675.
• Seidman H., Szlakiem nauki talmudycznej, Warszawa 1934.
• Sygowski P. [oprac.], Karta ewidencyjna zabytków, Archiwum WUOS, Lublin 1991.