Prague, Czech Republic has a long and fascinating Jewish history which can be discovered by spending an afternoon or a day exploring the Jewish Museum, which comprises a number of different sites in the Jewish Quarter.
This museum has one of the largest collections of Jewish historical artefacts in the world, with a total of 40,000 exhibits and 100,000 books, and it all makes for fascinating viewing.
Entry to the museum is 300csk for adults and 200csk for children, which will get you access to all of the main exhibitions, the most significant of which are described below.
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The Jewish Quarter
This is the area of the city in which the museum is found, and is reached by taking the Metro Line A. Known locally as Josefov, its origins go right back to the 13th century when Jews were forced to leave their homes and to live in one confined area. Due to the restrictions on their movements, more people were forced to crowd into the area over time. It underwent numerous redevelopments throughout its history, the last of which came between 1893 and 1913, but since then it has remained largely untouched. The area includes some of the best Jewish historical monuments in Europe.
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The Old Jewish Cemetery
Built in the first half of the fifteenth century, the Old Jewish Cemetery contains 12,000 tombstones, although many more people are thought to be buried within it, and it is now understood that there are numerous burial layers placed one on top of the other. The most famous person to rest there is the famous religious scholar, Rabbi Loew, who died in 1609.
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The Klausen Synagogue
Found at the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Klausen Synagogue originally began as three smaller buildings and was built in honour of Emperor Maximilian, who visited the ghetto in 1573. Destroyed by fire in 1689, it was rebuilt again, and then underwent further work in the 1880s. This was the largest synagogue in the ghetto and is well worth a look.
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The Pinkas Synagogue
Originally built in 1535, the Pinkas Synagogue was turned into a memorial after the Second World War. In 1968, building works revealed an ancient well and a ritual bath, but the ruling Communists prevented further investigations. However, in 1990 the work was completed and the building now displays 80,000 names of victims of the Nazis from Bohemia and Moravia.
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The Spanish Synagogue
Built in 1868, the Moorish style Spanish Synagogue was designed by Vojt?ch Ignátz Ullmann. It has galleries on three of the inside walls and a large dome in the centre, as well as a number of stunning Islamic motifs included in the decoration. One of its claims to fame was that František Škroup, the composer of the Czech national anthem, was the organist here in 1836-45.
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The Maisel Synagogue
Built between 1590 and 1592 by Mordechai Maisel, the mayor of the Jewish Town, the Maisel Synagogue was badly damaged in 1689 by a fire. After this is was renovated in the Baroque style, and between 1893 and 1905 it was rebuilt again in a Gothic design. Its current use is as an exhibition venue, and is one of the highlights of the Jewish Quarter.
Photo of Jewish souvenirs, Prague, Czech Republic originally posted by Kristin Sig
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