Apart from several synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery, the old Jewish Ghetto has vanished, destroyed during large-scale urban renewal carried out at the turn of the 20th century. All the surviving historic monuments, except for the Old-New Synagogue, now form part of the Jewish Museum.
The Jewish Museum in Prague is one of the largest of its kind in the world and home to very extensive collections, exhibited in various buildings. They can be visited with a single ticket.
As a monument of enormous significance, the museum provides an opportunity to reflect on the tragic past of the Jewish community, which before the Second World War formed a highly visible part of the Czech population.
The Maisel Synagogue charts Jewish history in the Czech lands, from the 10th to the 18th centuries. The Spanish Synagogue documents more recent history, from Jewish emancipation to the present. You can admire the collection of ceremonial items, and beautiful silver objects produced by renowned Jewish smiths. In the Klausen Synagogue and in the Ceremonial Hall, we learn about the traditions and customs of the Jewish people, through objects that are part of their lives from the cradle to the grave.
The Pinkas Synagogue provokes the strongest emotional responses, serving as a memorial to the Czech victims of the Holocaust. All the synagogue walls are covered with the names of exterminated Jews of Bohemia and Moravia. The first floor displays drawings by children from Terezín (Theresienstadt), a small town near Prague, which was used as a concentration camp for Jews before they were sent to extermination camps.
Round off your tour of the Jewish Museum by visiting the Old Jewish Cemetery, also part of the Jewish Museum.
