Pinkas Synagogue - Holocaust Memorial, Prague

Built in 1535, Prague’s second-oldest synagogue has borne witness to centuries of change. Today, it serves as a solemn tribute to over 77,000 Czech Jews who perished during the Holocaust. Though the building has been restored multiple times, its most profound transformation came in the 1990s, when the interior walls were carefully inscribed with the names of the victims, each one listed alongside their hometown in Bohemia or Moravia. Stepping inside feels less like entering a historic monument and more like walking into a vast, silent book of remembrance—every wall a page, every name a life once lived.

As visitors continue through the space, they enter a deeply emotional exhibit that features artwork created by children held in the Terezín ghetto during the war. These drawings were made during secret art classes led by a courageous teacher interned at the camp from 1942 to 1944. Despite the ever-present threat of deportation, she encouraged the children to express their inner worlds through art. Knowing the danger, she hid their work in two suitcases, which remarkably survived the war and today offer a rare glimpse into the lives of those young souls, many of whom would never return home.

Visitors can also witness “Faces of the Victims of the Shoah”, an evening video projection that casts photographs of Holocaust victims onto the synagogue’s exterior—clearly visible from the nearby street. The display's duration changes with the seasons, lasting up to two and a half hours during the longer winter nights.