The history of the Jewish people’s in Prague is closely related to Josefov, the Jewish Ghetto not far from the Old Town, as far back as the 10th century. Now Josefov is nice district, with contains many historic information about Jewish history in Prague.
The Jewish Quarter (Josefov) is a small district close to old Town Square. The district coats the area between the square and Vltava River. One of the oldest still existing synagogues in Europe – the Old-New Synagogue – and the Old Jewish Cemetery are located there. They were built approximately in the 15th century.
The first notes about Jewish settlements in Prague go back to the 10th century. Current area, known as Josefov, was settled in mid 12 th century. At that time it was not a ghetto. Moreover similar settlements were also established in Prague at that time, for example of German merchants.
Though the Jews of that time prospered and lived in relative friendship and peace with their neighbors the crusades of the 11th century brought a tidal wave of sorrow. The synagogues were burned to the ground, the civil rights of Jews were strictly limited and they were forced to build their community on the right bank of the Vltava only. All those facts were the beginning of what later came to be known as the ‘Jewish Ghetto’.. Later in the 13th century there were anti-Jewish storms, initiated by edicts of Fourth Council of the Lateran (the biggest Catholic council of the middle ages). However, the Jews in Prague were protected by the king, because they paid taxes.
In late 1500’s one smart and successful Jewish man named Mordecai Maisel became Minister of Finance and injected funds into Josefov. He provided recourses to build the Jewish Town Hall, the Maisel Synagogue, the High Synagogue and other buildings in Josefov. Moreover he paid for his name to be named and paved in his honor. It was called Maisalova Street.
The 17th century is considered to be the Golden Age of Jewish Prague. The Jewish community of Prague had reached some 15,000 people. It was approximately 30 percent of the entire population of the city that time. It made the Jewish community in Prague the largest Ashkenazic community in the world and the second largest community in Europe after Thessaloniki. From 1597 till 1609, the Maharal (Judah Loew ben Bezalel) served as Prague’s chief rabbi.
During the 1800’s it was estimated that the Jewish quarter had the largest Jewish population in the whole Europe. In 1850, the Jewish quarter was incorporated into the city and was named Josefstadt (Joseph’s city) in honor of Emperor Joseph II. Emperor Joseph belonged to Austrian Empire which ruled over what is now the Czech Republic in the 18th century. Joseph II was an enlightened monarch who gave the Jews in Prague their civil rights in 1781 when he issued the Toleration Edict. This edict rescinded the old rules that required the Jews to wear distinctive caps or the yellow Star of David on their clothing. That discriminating law had been in effect since the 11th century.
The Jews actively participated in the revolutionary activity throughout Europe in 1848 which finally brought equal rights for the Jews; the walls of the ghetto were torn down, allowing the Jews to live anywhere in the city of Prague. This fact caused a number of violent anti-Semitic protests by the Czechs in Prague. Meanwhile granting the equal rights to the Jews, they were also pressured to assimilate in to the local culture, instead of maintaining their separate one.
During the Second World War, while most Jewish communities across the country were wiped out, Prague’s Jewish community was permitted to preserve its treasures. However, many of the Jewish people in Prague and across the Czech Republic were sent to concentration camps where they died. Hitler’s final goal was to preserve the Jewish Quarter to be “The Museum of the Extinct Jewish Race”.
In our days it is difficult to estimate the size of the Jewish community left in the Czech Republic and Prague. Some days ago it was the largest Jewish community in Europe. Now they are among the smallest. The history of the Czech Jews has been unique and tragic. But it left behind itself proof of their historical significance to this part of Europe.
Nowadays the area of Josefov is frequently visited by tourists staying in the near Prague hotels near Jewish Quarter. Its impossible to be in Prague without visiting the Jewish Quarter.
The Jewish Quarter of Prague is situated in between the Old Town Square (Staré Mesto), served by the green line of subway of the same name, and the Vltava River, is now one of the biggest attractions of the city. In this area you will also find Prague Hotels where you will feel very comfortable. The Quarter is now known by the name of Josefov, the name comes from the emperor Josef II, whose reforms improved the living conditions for the Jewish in Prague. Prior to the Holocaust, and for many years, it was one of the most important Jewish centers in Europe. Documentary evidence divulges that Jews have subsisted in Prague since 970 C.E. In the end of the 11th Century, the Jewish community had been fully established. Dating the 13th century, the Jewish Quarter when the Jews were forced to leave their homes and move to this place. Over the years this area got more and more crowded since the Jews were not allowed to live among the others. During the events of the 1st and the 2nd world war the Quarter got a new designation: ghetto. Between the years of 1893-1913 suffered its biggest changes giving the buildings the appearance of nowadays, a real testimony tot eh history of Jews spanning many centuries.
The complex integrates Pinkas Synagogues, Klausen Synagogue, High Synagogue, Maisel Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue, the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery. Many people come up with the question of hwy this was never destroyed but even conserved during the 2nd world war? The answer is simple but terrifying. Hitler wanted to keep the Jewish living, synagogues and all rituals belonging intact so later he could make a museum of the exterminated people. Prague hotels near Jewish Quarter.
The historical sights of the Jewish Quarter are under the auspices of the Jewish Museum and a single ticket will give you the entrance to all of their buildings.
The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest preserved in Central Europe, built in the early gothic style in the late 13th century adorned by intricate stonework and with original furnishings. The Old-New Synagogue is extremely connected to the legend of the Golem. Rabbi Low had great powers and with them created the Golem, a sculpture made out of mud was vitalized. Golem was created to protect Jews from Anti-Semitic attacks and Joseph had the necessary powers to carry out the task. Although the being grew stronger and stronger. Rather then an heroic and helpful deeds Golem was becoming increasingly uncontrollable and even destructive. Once people found him uprooting trees and destroying Rabbi’s home. Rabbi rushed to take out the table that give him life. This was the end of Golem– he was never re-vitalized. Although Rabbi continued with the psalm and because of the interruption Prague’s Old-new Synagogue is the only place in the whole world where this psalm is sung twice.
In the Czech Republic, about 26,000 members of the Czech Jewish community emigrated to various countries, like Palestine, U.S., South America and Western Europe. Not all Czech Jews were so lucky, 92,000 Jews remained in occupied Czech lands. Seventy-four thousand of the Czech Jews were jailed in Terezin and 80 percent of those were sent to Auschwitzz, Maidanekk, Treblinkaa and Sobiborr. Other Czech Jews were sent straight to death camps.
The Jewish Museum of Prague has one of the widest collections of Jewish art, textiles and silver in the world. There are 40,000 exhibits and 100,000 books. The collection is exceptional; everything in the museum was gathered from Bohemia and Moravia and recalls the Jewish history and a valuable heritage for the present Czech Republic.
Shelly Sugar specialized in tourist business, researcher of Czech Republic tourism, manly Prague accommodation and tours.