BALL SEASON BRINGS CONTROVERSY TO KOSICE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000053

SIPDIS


FOR EUR/NCE AND EUR/OHI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM LO
SUBJECT: BALL SEASON BRINGS CONTROVERSY TO KOSICE



1. (U) U.S. STEEL IN KOSICE (SLOVAKIA'S SECOND LARGEST
CITY) HELD ITS ANNUAL BALL JANUARY 10 IN THE KOSICE
"HOUSE OF THE ARTS," A FORMER SYNAGOGUE WHICH NOW
HOUSES THE KOSICE SYMPHONY. PAVOL SITAR, THE LEADER OF
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY (JC) IN KOSICE, GAVE MEDIA
INTERVIEWS (INCLUDING TO U.S. PRESS) LAMBASTING U.S.
STEEL FOR INSENSITIVITY IN HOLDING A PARTY IN AN
IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS LANDMARK. U.S. STEEL KOSICE
PRESIDENT CHRIS NAVETTA TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE COMPANY
HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF
THE BUILDING, AND HAD ALWAYS SHOWN RESPECT FOR THE
FEELINGS OF VARIOUS GROUPS OF CITIZENS. U.S. STEEL'S
SPOKESPERSON FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT PERMISSION TO
HOLD THE BALL AT THE SITE HAD BEEN GRANTED BY THE CITY
AND SUPPORTED BY THE SYMPHONY. KOSICE MAYOR ZDENKO
TREBULA APOLOGIZED FOR THE CITY'S INSENSITIVITY IN
APPROVING THE EVENT, AND PROMISED TO AVOID ANY
CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE.

FROM SYNAGOGUE TO CULTURAL CENTER
--------------

2. (U) THE FORMER COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT FORCED THE JC
TO SELL THE KOSICE SYNAGOGUE, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN
SLOVAKIA, FOR A FRACTION OF ITS REAL VALUE. THE
BUILDING WAS THEN CONVERTED TO A CULTURAL CENTER FOR
THE CITY. SITAR TOLD POL FSN THAT, ACCORDING TO THE
ORIGINAL CONTRACT, THE CITY HAD MADE A COMMITMENT TO
RESPECT THE CHARACTER OF THE FACILITY AND USE IT ONLY
FOR CONCERTS OF CLASSIC MUSIC. LATER ON, THE CITY
BUILT AN ANNEX TO THE SYNAGOGUE THAT WAS USED FOR
DANCING AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. U.S. STEEL HELPED
REFURBISH THE CONCERT HALL, FROM INSTALLING A NEW FLOOR
RIGHT UP TO THE LIGHTING. APPARENTLY THE CONTROVERSY
AROSE BECAUSE THE BALL -- WHICH WAS PRECEDED BY A GRAND
CONCERT THAT INCLUDED PERFORMANCES BY THE SYMPHONY, A
BRASS ENSEMBLE, AN OPERA STAR, AND A WALTZ TROUPE --
TOOK PLACE IN THE FORMER SYNAGOGUE RATHER THAN THE
ANNEX. SITAR SAID IT WAS OFFENSIVE THAT THE SPACE
WHERE HIS GRANDPARENTS ONCE PRAYED HAD BEEN TURNED INTO
A DANCE FLOOR.

PENDING RESTITUTION CLAIM
--------------

3. (U) AFTER 1989, THE KOSICE JC FILED A RESTITUTION
CLAIM AGAINST THE CITY. SITAR SAID IT IS "ONLY A
MATTER OF TIME" BEFORE THE JC RECOVERS THE SYNAGOGUE.
HE CLAIMED THAT THE RESTITUTION SUIT HAS NOT BEEN
CONCLUDED "JUST DUE TO THE INEFFICIENCY OF SLOVAK
COURTS."

COMMENT
--------------

4. (U) U.S. STEEL DID NOT SET OUT TO INTENTIONALLY
OFFEND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN KOSICE. FORMER
SYNAGOGUES HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO A VARIETY OF USES,
MANY OF THEM CULTURAL, THROUGHOUT SLOVAKIA; THE JC HAS
SOUGHT RESTITUTION OF FEW. THE U.S. STEEL BALL WAS THE
HEIGHT OF THE KOSICE SEASON AND WAS WELL-PUBLICIZED IN
ADVANCE, AS WAS THE REFURBISHMENT PAID FOR BY U.S.
STEEL; THE KOSICE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAD AMPLE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ITS CONCERNS KNOWN BEFOREHAND.
THAYER

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