The Prešov Jewish Museum was established in 1928 as the first of its kind in Slovakia. The individuals most instrumental in its creation and the assembly of its collections were the head of the Jewish community, Ing. Eugen Bárkány, and Dr. Teodor Austerlitz, the son of a renowned Prešov rabbi. Thanks to their efforts, the museum acquired approximately 300 artifacts originating in Slovakia, as well as numerous donations from abroad. They also secured suitable premises in the "Kumšt" water bastion, where the museum began operations in 1931. Its activities were halted during the war, and there was no interest in reviving them afterward; consequently, the collections began to deteriorate. To prevent this, E. Bárkány arranged for the items to be housed at the State Jewish Museum in Prague, where they remained until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The collection returned to Slovakia in April 1993. By November 25, 1993, a portion of the collection had been made accessible to the public as a permanent exhibition of Judaica installed in the Prešov Orthodox Synagogue.