Jewish Museum, Prague

This museum in Prague offers a journey through centuries of Jewish life, resilience, and cultural richness. Founded in 1906, it’s one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Europe, home to a remarkable collection of over 40,000 artifacts and 100,000 books. But what truly sets it apart is its unique layout: instead of being confined to a single building, it is spread across several sites within Prague’s historic Jewish Quarter, each telling a different chapter of the Jewish experience in Bohemia.

At the Maisel Synagogue, exhibitions trace the history of Jewish life in the Bohemian lands from the 10th to the 18th century. Meanwhile, the Pinkas Synagogue is one of Prague’s most haunting sites: inside, the walls are inscribed with the names of nearly 80,000 Czech Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Upstairs, drawings made by children imprisoned in the Terezín Ghetto speak louder than words, offering a glimpse into wartime innocence lost.

Just beyond the Pinkas Synagogue lies the Old Jewish Cemetery, dating back to the 1400s. With over 12,000 tightly packed gravestones rising in layers, it tells a silent yet powerful tale of centuries lived, mourned, and remembered.

The Klausen Synagogue and the neighboring Ceremonial Hall take you deeper into the daily rhythms of Jewish life—birth, coming of age, marriage, and mourning—all explored through displays of ritual objects, customs, and traditions.

A shift in tone and style awaits at the Spanish Synagogue, which houses exhibits on more recent Jewish contributions to Czech society—from the world of science and politics to literature and the arts. And don’t miss the Robert Guttmann Gallery, which offers rotating exhibitions on Jewish identity and contemporary art, drawing connections between past and present.

To take it all in at a comfortable pace, plan to visit either early in the morning or later in the day. And if you find yourself unable to absorb everything in one go, it’s well worth coming back for a second visit—there’s always more to uncover in this deeply meaningful collection of spaces.