The presence of Jews in Komárno is historically documented already in the Middle Ages, but the modern Jewish settlement only began to take shape in the 18th century. Jewry reached its greatest flourishing parallel to the economic boom of the town, which became an important regional centre.
Over the course of 50 years, the number of Jews almost tripled, from 849 (1850) to 2,296 (1900). After the Pest Congress in 1869, the Komárno community joined the Neolog stream of Judaism. A separate Orthodox community was established later, in 1880. The synagogues of both communities have been preserved.
In 1941, 2,734 Jews lived in Komárno, who in 1944 were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. 248 of them survived. In Komárno there is still today a small but active community, which is an important cross-border centre of Jewish life and Jewish culture.
Menház – centre of life and culture of the Jewish religious community
The original building of the Jewish old people’s home, which was built in 1896, today serves the local Jewish community as a community centre. In the northern part of the rear wing is the synagogue, architecturally emphasized by a tall gabled roof, a rose window, and an entrance portal. The interior of the current prayer hall forms a simple space vaulted with a barrel vault, with the original furnishings and impressive neo-Gothic decoration. On the northern wall of the synagogue is a Holocaust memorial with the names of the victims.