Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
books,Torahscrolls, skullcaps, Hanukkah lamps andother items associated with particularly
significant points in Jewish life such as birth, circumcision, bar mitzvahs and weddings.
Španělská synagoga (Spanish Synagogue)
Vězeňská 1 • Sun-Fri: Nov-March 9am-4.30pm; April-Oct 9am-6pm •
Jewish Museum tickets
300Kč/480Kč
• Metro Staroměstská
The most elaborate building belonging to the Jewish Museum is the
Španělská synagoga
,
built on a site once occupied by Prague's Alt Schul or Old Synagogue. Begun in 1868, the
Spanish Synagogue is by far the most ornate in Josefov, the breathtaking, gilded Moorish
interior deliberately imitating the Alhambra (hence its name). Every available surface is
smothered with a profusion of floral motifs and geometric patterns, in vibrant reds, greens
and blues, which are repeated in the huge stained-glass windows.
The synagogue now houses an interesting
history exhibition
telling the story of Prague's
Jews from the time of the 1781 Edict of Tolerance to the Holocaust. Lovely, slender, painted
cast-iron columns hold up the women's gallery, where displays include a fascinating set of
photos depicting the old ghetto at the time of its demolition. There's a section on Prague's
German-Jewish writers, including Kafka, and information on the Nazis' plans for a museum
and on the Holocaust. In the
zimnísynagoga
on the first floor, you can see various silver re-
ligiousartefacts,justafractionofthesixthousandpiecescollectedhere,initiallyforPrague's
Jewish Museum, founded in 1906, and later under the Nazis. Also worth a peek are the
changing Jewish art exhibitions at the
Galerie Roberta Guttmanna
(Sun-Fri: Nov-March
9am-4.30pm;April-Oct9am-6pm;40Kč),aroundthebackofthesynagogueatUstaréškoly
3.
