The Jewish Quarter
A short walk from Old Town Square, The Jewish Quarter (Josefov) in Prague is situated on what was the Jewish Ghetto of Prague, dating back to the 13th century when Jewish people were forced out of their homes and into the area.
As more and more Jews were banned from surrounding areas, the new arrivals were jammed into the ghetto, making it overcrowded and harder to live. The Jewish Town was the only place in Prague where Jews were allowed to live, work, and bury their dead.
In 1848, Jewish people were granted citizenship rights and allowed to settle in other parts of Prague. Two years later, the quarter was renamed “Josefstadt” (Joseph’s City) after Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor who emancipated Jews with the Toleration Edict in 1781.
A lot of the quarter was demolished early in the 20th century as part of an initiative to model the city after Paris. Only six synagogues, the old cemetery, and the Old Jewish Town Hall were left, which are now all part of the Jewish Quarter. Today, the area is one of the most exclusive residential areas in Prague.
Old-New Synagogue
Out of the six synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, the Old-New Synagogue stands above them all. Built in 1270, and one of Prague’s first Gothic buildings, the beautiful vaulted bays from inside are absolutely stunning. Even with the soaring ceilings, the synagogue has very little natural light, mainly due to narrow windows. It is now brightly lit by electric chandeliers, which provide a unique light when sitting inside.
Originally called the New Synagogue when it was built, over centuries of newer synagogues being constructed, it took on it’s new name of the Old-New.
The Old-New synagogue follows orthodox custom, with separate seating for men and women during prayer services. Women sit in an outer room with small windows looking into the main sanctuary.
The Museum
In response to the tearing down of much of the Jewish Quarter at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish museum was founded by Dr. Hugo Lieben and Dr. Augustin Stein, who later became the head of the Prague Jewish Community.
We found this museum to be fascinating, not only because of the in-depth historical dive it does on Jewish history in Prague, and surrounding areas, but also because of the way the museum was laid out and the presentation of many of its exhibits.
The museum has one of the most extensive collections of Judaic art in the world, over 40,000 items, which show a comprehensive picture of the life and history of Jews in the region.
The Cemetery
The old Jewish cemetery is one of the largest most important Jewish cemeteries in Europe. The site is surrounded by a high wall and is located between the Pinkas and Klausen synagogues.
Used for burials from the late 15th century to the late 18th century, the lack of space or area to expand, coupled with the religious requirement that Jews cannot abolish older graves, created some incredibly difficult circumstances.
In an area of only 10,000 square meters, 12,000 gravestones have been counted, and it is estimated that the bones of over 100,000 people are buried in the cemetery. Due to the lack of space, it was also a necessity that the dead were buried up to 12 layers on top of each other.