JEWISH QUARTER, Synagogues

Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world: Prague’s old Jewish quarter.

Josefov was originally a ghetto, because for about five centuries, the city’s Jewish community was confined in an area of around 90,000 square meters. This area took on the name Josefov in honor of the Emperor Joseph II, who granted the Jews freedom to live where they chose in the 18th century. This also prompted a profound change in the urban landscape, because the wealthier families moved to other parts of the city and built their homes there.

The opening of Parizska Street at the beginning of the 20th century radically altered the appearance of the Jewish quarter. The old homes disappeared, but six synagogues, the Jewish Town Hall and the historic Jewish cemetery remained; together, they make up the Jewish Museum, testifying to the history of the community.  

The most important building is the “Old New” Synagogue, originally dating to the 13th century and constructed in Romanesque-Gothic style, but later rebuilt and added to after a fire the following century. This is the oldest Jewish place of worship still operative today in Europe, and the origins of the name are unclear....