"Jewish Prague" Archive:

18. 1. 2018

Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský Hřbitov)

Pha1 - Starý židovský hřbitov07Tour of the oldest Jewish burial grounds. On your Prague tour, let me invite you to one of the most memorable burial grounds in the world, the Old Jewish Cemetery. We can reach this historically important place comfortably by walking over the Charles Bridge and then along Křížovnická street in the direction of Jan Palach square and there we will find ourselves directly in the centre of the Jewish Town. » More »

18. 1. 2018

The Spanish Synagogue – the youngest yet the most beautiful

Pha1 - Spanelska synagoga a Zidovske muzeum008The youngest synagogue of the Prague´s Jewish Town Josefov was built at the crossroads of the streets Dušní and Vězeňská between 1867-68. Just like some other synagogues also this one was built in the Moorish style according to the project of Ignác Ullmann and Josef Niklas. The construction was performed in place of the former oldest synagogue called The Old School or „Templ“ which according to the extant historical sources existed already in the 12th century. It was called „school“ because the synagogues used to serve as educational institutes for the inhabitans of the Jewish community. » More »

17. 1. 2018

Franz Kafka

Franz_Kafka_1910Franz Kafka ranks without doubt among the most significant personalities of our history, inseparably related to Judaism. This recognized Prague writer is one of the most influential and most respected writers of the 20th century. Let´s discover more about the history of a man who had markedly influenced many world´ s authors. » More »

17. 1. 2018

Jewish Ceremonial Hall – building of Prague Burial Society

Praha_dům pohřebního bratrstvaA poetic Romanesque manor or a castle-like building in the Jewish town? This is not an optical illusion but it is a house of the former Ceremonial Hall and Mortuary situated at the Old Jewish Cemetery. » More »

zidovska radnice101114_001

10. 4. 2017

Jewish Town Hall in Prague

Jewish Town Hall – a place where the wall clock goes counterclockwise. This old Jewish Town Hall(czech: Židovská radnice) ranks among the few monuments of Prague-Josefov which have survived the extensive demolitions related to the sanation programs of the Prague´s Jewish ghetto leading to improvement of standard of living and hygienic conditions of the commuity. » More »

Pha1 - Zidovska radnice05

10. 4. 2017

Vysoká synagoga (High Synagogue) in Prague

Vysoká synagoga – a private preaching place of the Jewish councilors. The Synagogue, which dominates Červená ulice (Red Street) was built together with Židovská radnice (Jewish Town Hall) in 1577. The construction was, just like the other monuments of the Jewish Community, financed by the rich communal leader Mordechai Maisel. The buidling standing directly opposite the Staronová synagoga (Old New Synagogue) served as a private preaching place of the Jewish councilors. » More »

Nový obrázek3

9. 4. 2017

Prague’s Jewish community has a history going back a very long way indeed

Prague’s Jewish community has a history going back a very long way indeed. Jewish merchants and money lenders were settling in Prague as early as the 10th century. The original community in the Malá Strana moved in the middle of the 12th century to Josefov. » More »

Pha1 - Klausova synagoga06

9. 4. 2017

Klausen Synagogue in Prague

On our tour of Jewish sights in Prague we cannot leave out a very important building which is situated in close proximity of the Old Jewish Cemetery  and thus forms a part of the Jewish Town. We are speaking of the Klausen Synagogue (czech Klausová synagoga) which is one of the six historical premises of the Jewish Museum in Prague. » More »

ghetto-cervena-ulice-kolem-1900

9. 4. 2017

Sanitation of the Jewish ghetto in Prague

Due to the sanitation of the Jewish Town Prague has lost a unique and worldwide exceptional cultural landmark. The decision to sanitize or partly pull down the Jewish ghetto was taken at the turn of the 19th and 20th century in order to solve the disastrous social conditions and mainly the hygienic situation of the ghetto. Let´s look closer what had preceeded this radical and tragic solution.

» More »

Rembrandt van Rijn  Mojzis s deskami Zakona

9. 4. 2017

History of the Jewish inhabitants in the Czech lands

During the formation of the Czech state not only the arrival of Cyril and Methodius but also the presence of many cultures and religions was important. Judaism was one of them. Based on the extant historical records, the Jews occured in the Czech territory already in the 10th century. There are many sources mentioning arrival of the Jewish inhabitants. One of them is the oldest Bohemian chronicle – Kosmova kronika by Cosmas of Prague. » More »