The Jewish Museum in Prague is a collection of the most significant monuments in the Jewish Quarter (excluding the Old-New Synagogue, which is a separate entity). This is the best preserved complex of historical Jewish monuments in Europe, and includes several synagogues, the Jewish Ceremonial Hall, Old Jewish Cemetery and Robert Guttmann Gallery.
Visitors can visit the Jewish Museum by either purchasing a self-guided ticket or booking a Jewish Quarter Tour, which is led by a certified guide and includes a ticket for the Jewish Museum in the price.
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The Jewish Museum comprises:
Spanish Synagogue The exhibition at the Spanish Synagogue follows on chronologically from the displays at Maisel Synagogue. It details the history of the Czech and Moravian Jews from the 18th century to the present day.
Maisel Synagogue Founded in 1592, Maisel Synagogue exhibits a cross-section of the history of the Jews in Bohemia, from the early Jewish communities of the 10th century through to their emancipation in the 18th century.
Pinkas Synagogue Dating from 1535, Pinkas Synagogue is the work of the Horowitz family. After the Second World War, the synagogue was turned into a Memorial to the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia murdered by the Nazis. On its walls are inscribed the names of the Jewish victims, their personal data, and the names of the communities to which they belonged. There are 80,000 names.
Klausen Synagogue Located at the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery, the Klausen Synagogue was the largest synagogue in the Jewish ghetto and the seat of the Prague Burial Society. It houses a permanent exhibition entitled 'Jewish Customs and Traditions'.
Jewish Ceremonial Hall The Ceremonial Hall of the Prague Burial Society houses the second part of the exhibition 'Jewish Customs and Traditions'. Old Jewish Cemetery Founded in the 15th century, the Old Jewish Cemetery is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world, and is one of the most important historical monuments in the Jewish Quarter in Prague. Robert Guttmann Gallery The gallery, named after the Prague painter Robert Guttmann (1880-1942), hosts temporary exhibitions focusing on Jewish life, the persecution of Bohemian and Moravian Jews during the Second World War, Jewish monuments in the Czech Republic, and the Jewish presence in contemporary visual art.
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History of the Jewish Museum:
The Jewish Museum in Prague was established in 1906, and abolished in the autumn of 1939 following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. Its collection was taken over by the Prague Jewish community in 1942 as the Central Jewish Museum, becoming a safe shelter for liturgical objects, books and archival documents from the defunct Jewish communities until the end of World War II. Today, the Jewish Museum in Prague is one of the oldest Jewish museums in Europe.
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Note: The Jewish Quarter Tour is a comprehensive, highly enlightening tour of the Jewish Museum. It is led by a professional guide who specialises in Jewish history, and includes all admissions. Note: Our general tours of Prague also include a visit to the Jewish Quarter:
Prague Explorer Tour & Boat Trip
Prague City Tour
Prague City Tour & Boat Trip
Old Town & Jewish Quarter Tour. |