Let’s Walk Oradea and Talk Buildings

                                            

                                       1. Jews and Art (Nouveau), an undeniable connection

     The European art of the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century was subject to a great deal of influence from the Jewish community (Bedoir 2004). Unfortunately, this topic has been a less popular subject in the academic field and thus is subject to a very low degree of public awareness. My choosing to write about the links between the Jewish community and art, especially the Art Nouveau architecture, was very much influenced by the fact that the cultural stamp of this community during these years was never fully recognized.

 Source: https://www.culturespaces.com/sites/ceportail/files/dp_21_rue_la_boetie_vuk_bd.pdf

Figure 1. Paul Rosenberg- one of the world’s major art dealers of the 20th century, was behind such  famous artists as Picasso, Matisse, Monet & Braque 

                                                  

    This community, which has been living with us for many centuries, is still largely unknown to the public and often victim of unfounded stereotypes, as recent cases in Eastern Europe have shown. Even today, when Europe commemorates 75 years since the Holocaust, the evidence of rising anti-Semitism in Europe has become impossible to neglect, and especially in the western European countries where research shows that anti-Semitic violence is increasing (Stremmelaar and Lucassen 2018). 

     Yossie Hollander, Founder of the online platform for Holocaust studies “Echoes & Reflections” stated: "I firmly believe that education is the best way to prevent the next Holocaust" (Echoes & Reflections 2020). My MA research proposal starts from this very same idea that education – in this case not only through academia but also through tourism – is much needed for a better understanding of the Jewish community and its contribution to our wider society. 

     Contrary to popular belief, the history of the Jewish people did not start with and is not mainly comprised of the Holocaust! There was a very culturally rich Jewish life in Europe, prior to World War II, and like in other cities in Europe, Transylvanian Jews were part of the modernizations of the places they were living in.

 Federic Bedoire (2004) and Rudolf Klein (2005) have been writing about the undeniable impact of the Jewish community in the several European cities’ architecture, Oradea being one of the examples. They have also shown the strong ties connecting the Art Nouveau buildings and part of the Jewish community, particularly the upper-middle class one.

                                                  Source: https://editiadedimineata.ro/descopera-romania-palatul-vulturul-negru-simbol-al-orasului-oradea/

                       Figure 2. The Black Eagle Palace- beginning of the XXth century(Oradea)

    The heritage left by the Jewish communities in Europe has started to be more and more “fashionable”, judging by the booming numbers of available Jewish walking tours. The past years have witnessed an increase in the cities that are (re)discovering and promoting their heritage related to the Jewish community. Oradea is one of them. For the last decade, the municipality has been making considerable efforts to restore most of the cultural patrimony of the city and especially the Art Nouveau buildings. As a result, more and more tourists and locals have become interested in walking tours and in getting to know the city. 

     The project I chose for this MA will focus on the city of Oradea, Romania and the historical ties between Jewish culture and Art Nouveau Architecture. Stay connected for the next posts!

 To be continued…

by Flavia MATEI

 References:

1. Bedoire, Federic. The Jewish Contribution to Modern Architecture, 1830-1930. KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 2004; 

2. https://artnouveau-net.eu/city/oradea/ 

3. Institute for Jewish Policy Research. Retreived 29th January 2020, available at: https://archive.jpr.org.uk/object-neth60; 

4. Klein, Rudolf. SECESSION : UN GOUT JUIF ? Art Nouveau Buildings and the Jews in some Habsburg Lands: https://www.academia.edu/36082774/Secession_un_gout_juif_Art_Nouveau_Buildings_and_the_Jews_in_some_Hapsburg_Lands ;

5. Echoes & Reflections. Main Page. Retrieved 25th January 2020, available at: https://echoesandreflections.org;