Former Zucker House of Prayer and Starmach Gallery

The Jewish community in Podgórze never decided to build a synagogue. Private prayer houses were felt to be sufficient for the population’s religious needs. The most important of these was the Beth ha-Midrash (literally: “house of learning”) Chasidim, built in 1879-1881 for Dawid Zucker, which was later taken over by the Association of the House of Prayer and Support. Unlike in a synagogue, those praying and learning here could also eat and sleep on the premises. The house of prayer operated until the beginning of the second world war and the occupation. After 1945 the house was turned into a carpentry production facility, and the building succumbed to progressive decay.

Deserted and ruined, it underwent major renovation in 1996-1997 carried out by Andrzej and Teresa Starmach, who later moved their famous gallery here. Built in neo-Romanesque style with elements of arcades, the edifice regained its previous splendour thanks to the design of Jan Rumian. Today, it is an exhibition space primarily used to exhibit Polish modern art, mostly from the so-called Kraków Group and their circle that included Tadeusz Kantor, Kazimierz Mikulski and Jerzy Nowosielski.