Synagogue in Subotica

Born in Pest (Hungary) to parents who Magyarized their children’s last names from Kohn, Marcell Komor graduated from the Budapest Technical University’s faculty of architecture in 1891 and worked in the office of architect Ödön Lechner. In 1897, he partnered with Jakab Dezső, who shared his vision of bringing the Hungarian Secession and Lechner-trained art nouveau beyond Budapest. The synagogue in Subotica (today in Serbia), which they designed early in their partnership, is the second-largest synagogue in Europe and the only existing example of an art-nouveau synagogue. More generally, Komor and Dezső are most recognized for their Transylvanian Administrative Palace (1906) and the Palace of Culture (1910), whose green-hued interiors fused vernacular folk motifs, curvilinear art nouveau, and Romanian folk art. Komor also edited the trade journal Vállalkozók Lapja, in which he discussed politics, culture, and architecture, often under the pseudonym “Ezrey.” He was murdered by the antisemitic Romanian fascist Arrow Cross movement in 1944.

Born in Rév (today in Romania), Jakab Dezső graduated from the architecture faculty of Budapest Technical University in 1893. In 1897 he partnered with Marcell Komor. The synagogue in Subotica (today in Serbia), which they designed early in their partnership, is the second-largest synagogue in Europe and the only existing example of an art-nouveau synagogue. Beyond that, the pair are most recognized for their Transylvanian Administrative Palace (1906) and Palace of Culture (1910), whose green-hued interiors fused vernacular folk motifs, curvilinear art nouveau, and Romanian folk art. In 1918, Dezső split with Komor, entering a partnership with his son János and son-in-law, Aladár Sós. Their addition to the Komor-Dezső National Social Security Institute (1913) was completed in 1931.