This collection of images from Transylvanian synagogues, taken by Christian Binder (www.binderch.com), presents their dereliction as a direct consequence of the disappearance of a once-thriving community.
Transylvania once had a vibrant Jewish culture whose remnants are a dwindling community and crumbling buildings. The synagogues, built in times of plenty, bear witness to a great cultural wealth that needs to be rediscovered. Through this exhibition, the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre would like to draw attention not only to the sorry state of the buildings themselves, but also to emphasise the Jewish-Romanian connections, and to discuss Jewishness in the context of Romania.
The exhibition was open from May to June 2010, at The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre. It was organised in conjunction with The Mihai Eminescu Trust, with the occasion of the presentation 'The Last Jew of Sighisoara' held by Jessica Douglas-Home on 5 May 2010.