Josefov, Prague

Prague, like the cities of Bohemia and Moravia, has had an established Jewish community since the early Middle Ages. The presence of the Jews in these lands was tolerated, as they were good lenders, but at the same time they felt insecure, as their collateral aroused the resentment of the locals.

The first Jewish quarter was established near the castle, and by the twelfth century it already reached across the river. By 1848, the Jewish Quarter, named after Joseph II, developed as a viable combination of thriving business enterprises, crowded apartment buildings and ancient synagogues.

"Josefov" was declared a separate district of Prague in 1850, but unfortunately remained poor and with very poor living conditions. Those Jews who were more affluent managed to move to more settled parts of the city and this led to the desolation of the otherwise teeming and noisy streets, the residential buildings were demolished and replaced with new ones in the Art Nouveau style.

"Josefov" is not difficult to find - from the Old Town Square one takes "Parizhka" Street and heads towards the Jewish community. After a few blocks a brick building with gables emerges - the "Old-New Synagogue". Its building dates from 1275 and resembles a chapel. Exiting the synagogue, a street to the left leads to the imposing "Jewish Town Hall" building. It dates from 1541 but underwent rebuilding in 1764 after a fire. Its greatest landmark is a clock whose hands move in the opposite direction, symbolising the way Jews write from right to left.

Among the other landmarks of "Josefov" is the "Old Jewish Cemetery", which houses the "Pincas Synagogue". It is an imposing monument erected in honour of the 77,297 Jews who were victims of the Holocaust. Communists covered the names of these victims inscribed on its walls, but later everything was restored very carefully. The last person was buried in this cemetery in 1787, after which Joseph II banned burials within the city.

In this cemetery there are also the "Klaus Synagogue", where the body of the revered mayor of the Jewish city Mordecai Meisel was laid, a neo-Romanesque "Ceremonial Hall", which is part of the "Museum of the Jews", and the "Museum of Applied Arts".

In the "Josefov" one can see the "Meisel Synagogue". It houses the most artistically interesting exhibits of the "Museum of the Jews" - Jewish silver objects from all over Bohemia and Moravia, also manuscripts and Torah patrons.

The temple of the Sephardic community in Prague is another synagogue in the city, the "Spanish Synagogue". After a long time spent with its doors closed, it has been beautifully restored and is now used as a hall which tells the story of the life of the Jewish community in the 19th century.