Oradea's Orthodox synagogue dates from 1890, and before WWII was the main house of worship for around a third of the city's residents. It survived the war intact, but was badly neglected afterward and is now undergoing a thorough multiyear renovation. Though it was closed during our visit due to the renovation work on the synagogue, you can contact the Jewish Community Centre to take a look inside.
Just behind and to the left of the Orthodox synagogue is a small Holocaust Memorial (closed during our visit) to remember the around 30,000 Oradea Jews who perished. Most of the victims were executed at the German Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland following a series of transports in May–June 1944, after being forced to live in a cramped, sealed ghetto. The ghetto was located in the area surrounding the synagogue and remains depressed to this day.
