Prague possesses the oldest and best preserved Jewish monuments in Europe, which include synagogues and cemeteries. The Jewish district is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. This district is also called Josefov, after the name of Josef who facilitated the living conditions for the Jews in Prague. Here, visitors will find the remains of a former Jewish ghetto and explore the Jewish heritage. The following tour will help you get more familiarized with that legacy.
1) Spanish Synagogue
The Spanish Synagogue (Španělská synagoga) is a Moorish Revival synagogue built in Prague in 1868 to the design of Vojtěch Ignátz Ullmann. The facade copies the form of the Leopoldstädter Tempel, built in Vienna, Austria, in 1853, a tripartite facade with a tall central section flanked by lower wings on each side. As in Vienna, the central section is topped by a pair of domed turrets. The synagogue is most remarkable for the elaborate style of the interior, every surface is covered by elaborate Islamic-style polychrome and gilded patterns, some painted and some carved or molded.
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2) High Synagogue
High Synagogue (Vysoká synagoga) was financed by Mordechai Maisel, and it was finished in 1568, the same year as the Jewish Town Hall. The house was designed by P. Roder inRenaissance style (supervising builder was master Rada). It was designed as a preaching place for councilors of Jewish town hall. In the center there were bimah, surrounded by seats. Mordechai Maisel gave pieces of Torah and silver tools to the synagogue. The stucco ceiling was gothic ribbed vaulting. During the Nazi and communist rule, the synagogue was part of Jewish Museum and there was an exhibition of old Hebrew books.
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3) The Old New Synagogue
The Old New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga) situated in Josefov, Prague, is Europe's oldest active synagogue.It is also the oldest surviving medieval synagogue of twin nave design. Completed in 1270 in gothic style, it was one of Prague's first gothic buildings. A still older Prague synagogue, known as the Old Synagogue, was demolished in 1867 and replaced by the Spanish Synagogue. There are two explanations for the name "Alt-Neu." The first is based on the German and Yiddish translation of Alt-Neu as "Old-New." According to this explanation, the synagogue was originally called the New or Great Synagogue and later, when newer synagogues were built in the 16th century, it became known as the Old-New Synagogue.
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4) Klausen Synagogue
The name of this beautiful Baroque structure means 'small'. Klausen Synagogue is a place of great importance in the history of the former Jewish ghetto in Prague. Today, the synagogue serves as an exhibition hall that displays everyday life customs of the Jews.
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5) Ceremonial Hall
The Ceremonial Hall is a pseudo-Romanesque structure that was originally used for religious purposes, but today this is a museum where one can explore old Jewish books, tombstones, ritual items for cleansing, and more.
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6) Pinkas Synagogue
The Pinkas Synagogue is a memorial dedicated to victims of the Holocaust. The names and birth and death dates of 80,000 people are written on the walls. Pinkas displays a collection of drawings by children who were held in a concentration camp during World War II.
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7) Maisel Synagogue
Originally, the Maisel Synagogue was designed in Renaissance style, but because it suffered a major fire event the building had to be rebuilt and got a Gothic touch to it. The Nazis brought here different Jewish things such as old books, silver objects, textiles to make a museum of the nation they were planning to erase from existence. Today, Maisel Synagogue is considered the most popular Jewish Museum in Prague.
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