Stolen Sanctity – Judaica from Lower Austria

Every Torah shrine in every synagogue contains at least three large parchment scrolls from which the respective weekly portion of the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, are read. As sacred objects, they are dressed in embroidered mantles and decorated with a crown and breastplate – as they were in the 25 or so prayer houses that existed in Lower Austria until they were destroyed by the Nazis. What happened to these objects?

From 15 April to 15 November 2026, this exhibition will show seven ceremonial objects from Lower Austrian synagogues and tell their stories. These objects were either brought to Vienna in the nick of time before the November Pogroms in 1938 or were traded as stolen items and acquired by collectors or museums. However, most Judaica objects were destroyed or went missing, with only photos and documents remaining to prove their existence. These will also be made visible in the exhibition. A media station with virtual 3D reconstructions of the destroyed synagogues of Lower Austria will show these former sites of stolen sanctity.

In Kooperation mit dem Jüdischen Museum Wien

Curation and texts: Martha Keil
Design: Renate Stockreiter