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 NNNN