The dissertation investigates synagogue architecture in Slovakia. The first goal was to document all extant buildings in the country and, with help of the historical images and other archived materials, to reconstruct knowledge about demolished synagogues. The collected material was then placed into the broader context of both Central European synagogue and specifically Slovak architecture in an attempt to discover what were the principal determinants in the shaping of synagogue architecture in Slovakia. This led me to various approaches, from the studying of the socio-historical context of the Jewish settlement in Slovakia to a close examination of the synagogues within three selected urban centers that had had substantial Jewish communities. I also followed the development of distinct synagogue typologies in Poland, Germany and Austria, and followed their dispersions within the Central European region and their actual penetration into Slovakia. A substantial part of my interest focused on individual Slovak synagogue buildings, each of which I examined in detail. My discoveries uncovered numerous facets, which are mirrored in the structure of my work. The several sections of the dissertation relate to various aspects of Slovak synagogue architecture.

Before the mid-fifteenth century, the Christian and Islamic governments of Europe had restricted the architecture and design of synagogues and often prevented Jews from becoming architects. Stiefel presents a study of the material culture and religious architecture that this era produced.

Jewish Religious Architecture explores ways that Jews have expressed their tradition in brick and mortar and wood, in stone and word and spirit, from the biblical Tabernacle to contemporary Judaism. Social historians, cultural historians, art historians and philologists have come together in this volume to explore this extraordinary architectural tradition.

Through words and more than 300 exquisite photographs, Synagogues Without Jews tells the engaging histories of over thirty Jewish communities across Europe that thrived before WWII. Beautiful full colour photographs and architectural drawings bring back the past splendor of these synagogues and once again we can see why they were the pride and joy of their congregations.

Commemorating the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Venice Ghetto, this magnificent hand-bound Ultimate Collection volume introduces readers to the beauty and historical and spiritual significance of the five principal synagogues in Venice, the most important markers of Jewish faith and culture in the Most Serene Republic. Behind the walls of the Ghetto, Venetian Jews expressed strong ties to the traditions of their forefathers in constructing these beautiful places of worship. The architecture, furnishings, and decorations blended the memory of their different countries of origin with traditions of Venetian artistic culture, bequeathing the City on the Lagoon enduring monuments of unparalleled eminence that remain sites of reverence and admiration.