Žiežmariai, Kaišiadorys District Municipality
Kaišiadorys District
Wooden synagogue adapted as a cultural space
Vilniaus g. 6, Žiežmariai
54.80370, 24.44460
30-45 minutes
year-round; best combined with an event or a prearranged tour
Žiežmarių medinė sinagoga
Žiežmariai Synagogue: a Rare Wooden Sanctuary
Žiežmariai Synagogue stands in Žiežmariai on Vilniaus Street, set back within its plot. It is one of the few surviving wooden synagogues in Lithuania. Such sanctuaries were once numerous, but only a small number remain today, making the Žiežmariai building an important monument of wooden synagogue architecture.
The synagogue is interesting both for its distinctive asymmetrical volume and for the way it combines several functions: the western part contained a two-storey women's section, while the eastern part held the single-storey, almost square men's prayer hall. Today it is a revived place that preserves the memory of the Jewish community of Žiežmariai.
Construction and the Jewish Community of Žiežmariai
Jews settled in Žiežmariai as early as the seventeenth century. The Architecture and Urbanism Research Centre (AUTC) dates the present wooden building to 1782. The date should be used carefully: different sources mention both a first synagogue from the late seventeenth century and the nineteenth century, so the most precise approach is to follow the 1782 date given by AUTC for the present building.
By the end of the nineteenth century Žiežmariai was largely a Jewish town: in 1897, out of almost 2800 residents, more than 1600 were Jewish. Several synagogues, a Jewish people's bank, and a school operated here. The town's synagogues were damaged in a 1918 fire, and the wooden synagogue was rebuilt afterward.
Wooden Architecture and Interior
The synagogue is built from logs, clad in vertical boards, and covered by a hipped roof. In the men's prayer hall the bimah stood at the center, while the Aron Kodesh was on the eastern wall; the hall was lit by eighteen windows - more than ritual rules required.
Important elements of the original interior survive: two of the four columns that marked the bimah, with decorated capitals; an illusionistic octagonal small vault with a rosette; and the upper-wall openings of the women's gallery. Romanticism features can be felt in the architecture. The synagogue is listed in the Register of Cultural Property.
The Holocaust, the Soviet Period, and Revival
During World War II the history of Žiežmariai Synagogue became tragic: under Nazi occupation women, children, and elderly people were held in the building, and in the summer of 1941 the Jews of Žiežmariai and its surroundings were shot in Strošiūnai Forest. This is part of the destruction of the town's Jewish community.
In the Soviet period the synagogue was used as a warehouse and became neglected. In 2015 the building was transferred to Kaišiadorys District Municipality for restoration and adaptation for community, cultural, and tourism use. After restoration the synagogue reopened in 2021; it now hosts concerts, exhibitions, educational programs, and tours, and is managed by the Žiežmariai Cultural Center.
How to Visit Žiežmariai Synagogue
The synagogue is convenient to visit when traveling between Vilnius and Kaunas, because Žiežmariai is close to the main route. A visit usually takes 30-45 minutes: see the wooden exterior, the restored interior with bimah columns, and the openings of the women's gallery.
The synagogue functions as a cultural space, so visits often happen during events or by advance arrangement for a tour. Public opening hours may not be posted, so during research the recommendation was to contact the Žiežmariai Cultural Center or check the municipality page.
