Spiritual Faces of Subotica

In 1753, the chapel was restored and in 1773 it became a parish church, serving until the construction of the Church of St. Teresa of Avila in 1797. The building with an unsightly façade was not to the taste of the residents of Subotica in the last third of the 19th century, so it was demolished in 1884 and another one was built in its place, which still exists to this day. Art historians Bela Duranci and Kata Martinovic Cvijin consider the chapel to be one of the best creations of the architect Titus Mackovic. Bela Duranci believes that “the Chapel of St. Roch is the most successful example of a building in an eclectic style with decoration from the time when Subotica sharply accelerated its development and in two decades turned from a large village into a small modern town.” This chapel is a significant achievement of the sacral architecture of Subotica, which so impressed the townspeople that after its construction it became fashionable to build similar chapels in Subotica cemeteries. The author - Titus Mackovic - worked during this period in the neo-Renaissance style, and that’s how he designed the chapel. The chapel has one nave. The other three facades are identical and decorated in the style of a classical Greek temple. The entrance to the chapel is arched and located between shallow semi-pilasters. The southern and northern facades are decorated in a similar way. The chapel is covered with a massive dome with a high lantern topped with an apple and a cross. The roof of the dome was originally two-colored, and the ribbed part was gilded.

The monument consists of three parts: a pedestal, an access platform and a tomb. The pedestal, which is the support of the sculptural parts, is made of concrete and brick, faced with marble; on the front side there is a bronze relief frieze, slightly curved. The upper part of the wall is decorated with a group figure, also made of bronze, located in the center, and the northern part of the wall serves as the entrance to the tomb with a bronze gate located in the center, behind which lie the remains of fifteen inhabitants of Subotica. Around the entrance there are bronze plaques with the names of fallen soldiers and victims of fascism. The wall ends with pylons on the sides. The access plateau is designed on two levels: the first, lower, with three steps on each, and the second level is the outer shell of the tomb, leading by steps to a semicircular plateau in front of a relief frieze. The tomb itself is half-buried with earth, the ceiling structure is made of radially arranged I-beams, under which there is a shallow brick vault. The relief surface of horizontal bronze tells the story of the struggle between good and evil, and the victorious conclusion of the struggle. In the center of the relief is the winner, a peaceful human figure, like the others, without clothing or signs of belonging to any of the conflicting parties. When you look at the terrain, it seems that the battle is dying down. At the top you can see horsemen galloping with the news of victory and the coming of peace. In the very corner you can see a crushed and immobilized enemy. Above this nightmare rises a girl full of plasticity, whose figure speaks of vitality. The laurel wreath with which the girl crowns the lifeless body is the only sign of death.The design of this monument was designed by Toma Rosandich, a sculptor of exceptional fame and long-standing popularity, whose works have been known since 1906. Among his works is the composition “Black Horses Played” in front of the People's Assembly in Belgrade. While working on the project, the author tried to create a memorial of enduring values ​​and universal human significance, without ideological paraphernalia and stereotyped demagoguery. In 1985 it was restored and reconstructed.

The earliest surviving design of the church dates back to 1789. It clearly indicates that the church has retained its original shape, foundation, volumes and proportions to this day. It is oriented from east to west. The site for the new church was chosen on the western edge of the floodplain, which divided the settlement into two parts. In the structural and decorative elements of architecture, in the shapes of arches, in the plastic processing of facades and interiors, the building bears the characteristic features of the Baroque style. The interior arrangement of the church began in 1803. The side altars were built by wealthy families of the city between 1803 and 1820. And the main altar was erected by the city in 1804. The organ was made by Cervenka Wenzel from Bailly in 1801, and the benches were the work of Latzbacher Michal, a master carpenter from Vienna. The first bells were installed in 1798, but over time they were replaced by larger ones. The towers were covered with copper sheets in 1839. In June 1879, the newspaper reported cracks in the church extending from the foundation to the roof, as well as cracks in the nave vault. At the end of 1883, the famous European specialist Czigler Győző was invited from Budapest, who recommended stabilizing the building by installing iron struts. In the summer of 1888, restoration of the church began. The old auxiliary buildings were demolished, and in their place, next to the altar, two semicircular rooms were built according to the design of Titus Mackovic, which statically strengthened the building. New altars were installed in two side rooms. Large-scale internal restoration of the church began in June 1893. The performer of the work was Johan Clausen, a German by birth, whose professional path ran through the schools of Vienna and Munich.According to the contract, Clausen had to breathe new life into the interior: the decoration and decoration of the temple were to be updated, the vaults were to be painted with eleven fresh frescoes, the nine altar cloths were to be carefully cleaned, and the altars themselves were to be restored. A significant contribution was also the placement of twenty carved wooden statues from the famous Tyrolean master Ferdinand Stuflesser, each of which Clausen was to cover with gold. A separate item of work included facing the walls inside the temple with square granite slabs delivered from Kelheim. Clausen completed the restoration of the benches and created all the decorative elements provided. The final stage was the arrangement of wind protection for ten entrance portals and the installation of colored stained glass windows. During the work, the altar platform was raised, hiding the crypt underneath, and on both sides of it the semicircular rooms of the sacristies harmoniously fit in. In addition to the rich architectural elements of the church’s interior, paintings, deep carvings of the pulpit in the Baroque-Classical style, gilded plastic capitals, friezes, decorative frames and luxurious wall decoration play a significant role in the feeling of the temple’s monumentality. The space is given a significant accent by the exceptional Tyrolean sculptures created in the workshop of Ferdinand Stüfleser. The authors of the church paintings are: Jozsef Schöfft, Kasper Schleibner, Emanuel Walch.

We would like to note: the statement that the Synagogue in Subotica is unique and there is no other like it in the world is not a patriotic exaggeration, but a well-founded point of view, supported by architectural historians. And here's why: 1. Architectural style: Hungarian Secession (Magyar Szecesszió). This is the key point. Most of the world's famous synagogues were built in the Moorish style (for example, the Great Synagogue in Budapest or the Spanish Synagogue in Prague), neo-Romanesque or neo-Gothic style, or in the classical style. The synagogue in Subotica is the clearest example of the Hungarian version of the Art Nouveau style, which is called Secession here. But it is not just “another secession building.” This is a national manifesto: the architects consciously created not just a religious building, but a monument to the Hungarian national identity. They were part of a movement that sought to create a modern Hungarian style, distinct from the Austrian and German ones. 2. Synthesis of the arts (Gesamtkunstwerk): the building was conceived as a single artistic work in which architecture, sculpture, painting and decorative arts merge into one. 3. Facade: “Gingerbread house” with deep symbolism. The facade of the synagogue has no analogues. It combines bright polychrome bricks and ceramic tiles (produced by the famous Zsolnay factory), creating a complex geometric and floral pattern.4. Symbolism: ornament is not just decoration. It intertwines: traditional Jewish motifs (Stars of David, menorahs (seven-branched candlesticks), tablets of the Covenant), Hungarian folk motifs (stylized flowers (sunflowers, tulips), peacocks, which in Hungarian folklore symbolize immortality), and you can catch a Christian motif (!). The base of the temple's prayer space is a regular square measuring 25 x 25 meters with an inscribed cross (Greek), which is formed around four pairs of steel columns, symmetrically arranged in an octagon shape. And the presence of this Christian motif in the design is one of the unique features. The interior, especially the Aron HaKodesh in the shape of the Tree of Life, represents an unprecedented synthesis of Jewish religious symbolism and Hungarian folklore. Thus, the uniqueness begins with the fundamental concept of the building - the plan of the prayer hall is a Greek cross inscribed in a square and formed by eight steel columns supporting the dome. This bold architectural decision is not an accident, but a deliberate “gesture of tolerance”, symbolizing that Judaism is an organic part of the cultural mosaic of Subotica. 5. Interior: Firmament and Tree of Life If the facade is unique, then the interior is something fantastic. Dome: The huge central dome of glass and steel is painted blue and studded with golden stars, symbolizing the night sky and Heavenly Jerusalem. The dome's design was innovative for its time.“Tree of Life”: the most recognizable element of the interior. The Aron HaKodesh (torah storage cabinet) is designed in the form of a gigantic, intricately curved Tree of Life, the branches of which, decorated with flowers and birds, soar to the dome. This image simultaneously refers to the biblical Tree of Life, and to the world tree from Hungarian mythology, and to the winding lines of the Art Nouveau style. There is no such solution for Aron HaKodesh in any other synagogue in the world. Organ: a powerful organ, as was typical of the liberal Jewish communities of Austria-Hungary during that period. Color scheme: continuation of the polychromy of the facade inside - an abundance of gold, blue, green and ocher creates an incredibly festive and solemn atmosphere. 6. Historical and cultural context - the synagogue can be called a “Document of the era.” It was built in 1902 at the height of the prosperity of the Jewish community of Subotica, symbolizing confidence in the future, assimilation and loyalty to Hungarian culture. 7. Miracle of Preservation: It is also unique in that it survived the Holocaust and the post-war period. Although much of the community was destroyed, the building itself survived. It was misused in socialist Yugoslavia, but escaped demolition or major reconstruction, unlike many other synagogues in Europe. To summarize: the synagogue in Subotica is unique thanks to the ideal and unique combination: A style rare for such buildings (Hungarian Secession). Mixing symbols of three cultures (Jewish, Hungarian folk, and a little Christian). An innovative and symbolically rich interior with its “Tree of Life” and sky dome. The history of the building, reflecting the hope, tragedy and survival of the Jewish community in Central Europe.This is not just “a very beautiful synagogue in the Art Nouveau style.” It is an architectural hybrid, a cultural manifesto and a work of art that truly has no direct analogues in either design or execution. There are many beautiful synagogues in the world, but there is really only one like this. In 2014-2018, the synagogue building was thoroughly restored. The Hungarian government allocated €2.2 million for the reconstruction of the Subotica synagogue, and almost €300,000 more came from EU structures. But at some point the synagogue building turned out to be too large for the significantly reduced community, so it has not been used for prayers for a long time. But nearby, on the ground floor of the community center, there is the so-called Small Synagogue. On Shabbat and holidays, community members gather there. There is no rabbi in Subotica, but community members themselves do everything necessary for a full-fledged Jewish religious life: the community has preserved seven Torah scrolls, has a kosher kitchen, and maintains order in the historical Jewish cemetery. An office is open daily in the community center, and there are also study rooms - community members study Yiddish and spend their leisure time there. The cost of a ticket to visit the synagogue is 250 RSD (Monday – closed, Tuesday – Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00). Soon after the opening of the synagogue, according to information from the local department of external relations, a significant increase in the number of tourists was noted. And many Jews of Subotica are proud that the synagogue in which their grandparents prayed has become a city landmark accessible to everyone. Yes, to be honest, the Synagogue is a source of pride for all residents of the city!

The current church was built between 1723 and 1726. Over time, the church has undergone significant changes and reconstruction at the expense of donors. The first major change was in 1766, when the iconostasis was painted. In 1804, extensive work was carried out when the church was expanded and increased in size. During the major renovation of 1909/1910, the church was expanded again, the old bell tower was demolished and a new bell tower was built with two corner spaces, a baptistery and a dining room. Stained glass made by Tiroler Glassmalerei from Innsbruck appeared on eight windows. The stained glass windows were largely destroyed during World War II. Due to the reconstruction and expansion of the church at the beginning of the 19th century, many of the original stylistic features were lost, with the exception of the appearance of the bell tower. Today the temple is a typical example of neo-Baroque architecture. This is a single-nave church with a distinct Baroque façade. The main western entrance is decorated with a portal with columns and a pediment, above which rises a tall Baroque bell tower. The side facades and pediments are richly decorated with typical Baroque elements: volutes, acanthus leaves and pilasters. During a large-scale restoration in 1909, thanks to abundant donations, the Old Iconostasis was replaced by the current one, created in 1910 by Johannes Lukes under the direction of Paja Jovanovic. The support of the iconostasis and the gilded carvings were made by masters of the Pest workshop “Ratay and Benedek”. The throne of the Virgin Mary is decorated with carvings and was made in 1785. The icon of St. Sava of Serbia located in the church was painted in 1910 in oil on canvas in a realistic manner by master Alexander Sekulic, an artist from Zrenjanin.

The Franciscan monastery and church in Subotica, which the inhabitants of Subotica call the "Old Church", are very old buildings - witnesses of the history of the city. Back in 1686, the Franciscans settled in the Subotica fortress. In 1693, the Franciscans built their first church there. In 1729, construction of a new church began. It was completed and consecrated in honor of St. Michael the Archangel in 1736. The outer walls of the old buildings were incorporated into the new church. With interruptions and reconstructions, the Franciscan monastery was built in stages from 1735 to 1767. By the mid-18th century, the church was equipped with Baroque altars, altar paintings, a pulpit and pews. It acquired its current appearance with features of the neo-romantic style in 1907 thanks to the architect Sándor Ainger, when the left bell tower was erected and new altars made of Carrara marble appeared. Speaking about the contribution of the Franciscans to the formation of the city, we should mention the first book of registration of baptisms in 1687, which was kept by the Franciscan rector, Father Barisha Benjović. It is now kept in the parish archives of the parish of St. Teresa of Avila in Subotica, where it was transferred in 1773 after the cessation of the Franciscan parish.

The construction of the church reflected the growth and self-organization of the Lutheran community in Subotica, which by the end of the 19th century had become large enough to build its own permanent church. It is worth noting here that after the Second World War the size of the evangelical community in Subotica declined sharply. This church is a wonderful example of sacred architecture of the early 20th century. On a small square in front of the church there are 3 busts of famous figures, and one of them is known to many: Martin Luther, who in the 16th century began the Reformation by formulating his 95 theses, in particular, speaking out against the sale of indulgences - absolution for money, he also translated the Bible from Latin into German, making it accessible not only to priests, but also to ordinary people. His name gave the name to a whole movement - Lutheranism. And the bust of Luther appeared in Subotica for a reason: the traditions of Protestant communities are strong in Vojvodina.

Construction began in 1893 and was completed in 1896. The church was erected in honor of the millennium of the Hungarian conquest. The project was developed by architects Hoepfer and Keresztes from Pest (Budapest) based on the winning proposal in the competition. Style and Appearance: Neo-Gothic, with brick facade, high tower, pointed arches and decorative elements. The nave is separated from the side aisles by 12 columns. Interior: furniture and decoration were created by the Tyrolean company Stufflesser in 1898–1899. The main altar is decorated with the figure of St. George trampling the dragon, with large statues of St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus. The side altars are dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin and the Heart of Jesus. The stained glass windows, made in Budapest by Glogovác and Krause, were unfortunately destroyed during the Second World War. Wall painting: In 1906, the artist Antal Szirmai created Art Nouveau frescoes depicting the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus in the sanctuary, however, some of the paintings in the nave were destroyed during the war.

It is a Roman Catholic church and is a parish church (župna crkva). The church was originally planned as a cathedral, but has not yet been completed. Construction began in 1933 without official permission from the city authorities (who, according to rumors at the time, were influenced by the Freemasons and opposed the project). The original plan, in the shape of a Greek cross, was designed by Monsignor Lajčo Budanović. The church was later expanded according to the design of engineer Karl Molzer (also Karl Molzer). The building is missing several planned elements, including a 15-metre dome, an extended nave, two additional towers and a corridor around the altars of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sacred Heart of Mary. Construction proceeded in stages, with ongoing renovations and additions throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries (e.g., interior plastering and painting completed in 1954, repainting in 1983, new altar and sanctuary erected in 1973, wall renovations occurring from 1972 to 2008). The parish was officially established in 1956, after having functioned as a vicariate since 1926. And the nearby Buvljak clothing market on weekends gives you the opportunity to buy antiques in what is usually called a flea market.

Visitors note the rich decoration of the church, but getting inside is not so easy (And the territory is open from Monday to Saturday from 8-00 to 12-00. Architect Géza Kocka, construction began in 1894, the cross on the tower was installed on October 6, 1894, and construction was completely completed in 1896. The church was originally built as a chapel on the initiative of Maria Vojnić Tošinica, a Subotic Croat noblewoman known for her philanthropy. The parish was established in 1956, although since 1933 the church has functioned as a vicariate. The church survived the bombing of Subotica in 1944 and the destruction carried out by the “forces of socialism” in the 1950s and 1960s. Dimensions: length 21 m, width 11.4 m, height of the central nave 6 m, tower 25 m. The church has two bells, and under it a crypt with the burials of Maria Voynich Toshinitsa and her relatives. Services are held in Croatian and Hungarian. If you go to this church, we highly recommend visiting the wonderful Sarajevske Pite bakery along the way. The baked goods there are all excellent, but everyone says that it is impossible to find better bureks than in this bakery. The problem is one: the bureks there often end before 12 o’clock...