Prague Jewish Quarter - part I

Named after the emperor Josef II, whose reforms helped to ease living conditions for the Jewish, the Jewish Quarter contains the remains of Prague's former Jewish ghetto. There are two figures synonymous with this part of the city, Franz Kafka (1883 – 1924) and the mystical humunculus Golem created by Jehuda ben Bezalel (Maharal), also known as Rabi Löw.

Old Jewish Quarter
The Jewish quarter is a small area known as Josefov between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. Most of it can be walked through and around in a single day but any detailed explorations needs time. The Jewish cemetery, Old-new synagogue, Klausen Synagogue and the Pinkas synagogue are the most worthwhile sights. Be prepared for entrance fees at several of the sights.The history of the area dates back to the 11th Century. Though the Jews of this time prospered and coexisted in relative peace with their neighbours, the crusades of the 11th century were to bring a tidal wave of sorrow.

Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý židovský hřbitov)
The Old Jewish Cemetery was established in the first half of the 15th century. Along with the Old-New Synagogue, it is one of the most important hictoric sites in Prague´s Jewish Town. The oldest tombstone, which marks the grave of the poet and scholar Avigdor Karo, dates from the year 1439. Burials took place in the cemetery until 1787. Today it contains some 12,000 tombstones, al though the number of persons buried here is much greater. The cemetery was enlarged a number of times in the past. In spite of this the area did not suffice and earth was brought in to add further layers. It is assumed that the cemetery contains several burial layers placed on top of each other. The picturesque goups of tombstones from various periods emerged through the raising of older stones to the upper layers. The most prominent person buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery is without a doubt the great religious scholar and teacher Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known as Rabbi Loew (d. 1609), who is associated with the legend of the Golem. Among the many other prominent persons buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery are: the Mayor of the Jewish Town Mordechai Maisel (d. 1601), the Renaissance scholar, historian, mathematician and astronomer David Gans (d. 1613), scholar and historian Joseph Solomon Delmedigo (d. 1655), and rabbi and collector of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books David Oppenheim(d. 1736).

Tombstones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague
There are more than 100,000 Jews buried in this small plot, the graves being layered 12 deep in some places. This is not unusual for European cemeteries where space is at a premium. In Germany where the graves are also 12 layers deep, the tombstones mark only the top layer of the buried coffins. In the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, there are around 12,000 tombstones, crowded closely together with almost no grass between them. Some of the tombstones look like beds, like the one on the left in the photograph below.

Pinkas Synagogue (Pinkasova synagoga)
The present building is the work of the Horowitz family. In 1535 Aaron Meshullam Horowitz had it built beween his house "U Erbů" and the site of the Old Jewish Cemetery. 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. In 1968, however, the Memorial had to be closed because ground water had penetrated the building´s foundations, thus endangering the structure. During work on the underground waterproofing of the building, a discovery was made of vaulted spaces with an ancient well and ritual bath. The Communist regime deliberately held up renovation work and the inscriptions were removed. Not until 1990 was it possible to complete the building alterations. Finally, in 1992-1994, the 80,000 names of the Jewish victims of Bohemia and Moravia were rewritten on its walls.

Klausen Synagogue (Klausova synagoga)
The Klausen Synagogue is located by the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery. It takes its name from the German word "Klaus" meaning "smal building", which is derived from the Latin "claustrum". "Klausen" (plural of "Klaus") was the name of the originally three smaller buildings, which Moredehai Maisel, Head of the Prague Jewish Community, had erected in honour of a visit from Emperor Maximilian II to the Prague ghetto in 1573. After the destruction of the original Klausen by the fire of 1689, work began on the present Klausen Synagogue building which was completed in 1604. Further reconstruction of the Klausen Synagogue took place in the 1880s. The Klausen Synagogue held an important place in the history of Prague´s Jewish Town. It was the largest synagogue in the ghetto and the seat of Prague´s Burial Society.

Old-New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga)
Dates back to the middle of the 13th century, which means that this is the oldest synagogue in Central Europe, the gates themselves are the oldest in Prague. The early Gothic style gives you an idea of how many of the buildings once looked like. There are many legends about this building. One of them claims that angels came with the stones from which the synagogue is built and have protected it ever since (unrelated or not the synagogue has avoided two big fires). The synagogue was renovated in the 19th century and is used for religious services. Notice the separation of men and woman. During the service the synagogue itself is reserved for the men, while the women must follow the service through small windows in the wall. The synagogue is still in use.

To be continued...