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July 11, 2003
Prague – city of a hundred spires
The cemetery buildings form part of the best preserved complex
of Jewish historical monuments in all of Europe.
LANI JEFFREY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
The Czech Republic, with the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, located
in the heart of Europe, is not a large country but, however small,
it has a rich and eventful history. The capital of Prague, otherwise
known as the Golden City or the City of a Hundred Spires, is a magical
city whose history dates back more than 1,000 years. It offers visitors
a beguiling mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque architecture
viewed from 500 towers and steeples. Prague has an unusual concentration
of theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls. Here, the creation
and reception of art have a long-standing tradition. No wonder this
unique gallery of architectural styles in the streets and parks
of Prague has been added to the UNESCO list of world cultural and
natural heritage sites.
Prague is situated in a dramatic setting: a basin traversed by the
meandering river Vltava (or Moldau) and surrounded by seven hills.
In 895 AD, the first account of Prague as a city "made richer
by commerce than all others" was written in Arabic by a Jew,
Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub from Spain. From the 10th century onwards, Czechs,
Germans and Jews have lived here in symbiosis, influencing one another.
Jewish settlements were scattered in various locations but, in the
13th century, they were consolidated within the eventually independent
Jewish town Josefov on the river Vltava. The Jewish communities
grew according to the whims of rulers, the changing moods of the
Christian populace and the Jewish ability to adapt. Their turbulent
history is marked by periods of prosperity alternating with pogroms
and disasters. Today, the old Jewish cemetery, several synagogues
and the Jewish townhall form the best preserved complex of Jewish
historical monuments in all of Europe.
The old Jewish cemetery, the oldest burial ground of its kind in
Europe, was established in the 15th century and used as a burial
site until 1787. Among the 12,000 Gothic, Renaissance and baroque
tombstones crammed tightly together, is that of a famous scholar
and rabbi, Jehuda Low ben Bezdel, the creator of the legendary Golem.
Mordechai Maisel, an entrepreneur and mayor of the Jewish town,
is buried here along with David Oppenheim, whose collection of Hebrew
manuscripts was donated to Oxford Bodleian Library. With the closing
of the old cemetery, the Jewish community began to use a new cemetery
at Olsany in Prague 2, Vinohrady.
The marvelous Gothic Old-New Synagogue, the oldest in central Europe,
is still being used for religious services. It was built in the
13th century with high gables and richly adorned stonework. Legend
has it that the stones were carried here from the ruined Temple
in Jerusalem. Also, the inside furnishings are of ancient origin.
The synagogue is open daily, except Saturdays and Jewish holidays,
from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays until 5 p.m. The Jewish Museum
consists of Maisel Synagogue, Klaus Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue,
Pinkas Synagogue, the Ceremonial Hall and the old Jewish cemetery.
They are open daily except Saturdays and Jewish holidays from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m.
The history of the Jews in Bohemia and Moravia between the 10th
and 18th centuries, along with the historical objects, collection
of silver, manuscripts and prints serving ritual and liturgical
uses, are exhibited in the Maisel Synagogue (circa 16th century)
at Maiselova Street No.10 in Prague 1. An exhibition of Jewish customs
and traditions is preserved in Klaus Synagogue (circa 17th century)
and the Ceremonial Hall at U Stareho Hrbitova No. 1 and 3 in Prague
1. Built in the exotic, neo-Moorish style of architecture, the Spanish
Synagogue (circa 19th century) at Vezenska Street No. 1 was the
only relatively modern addition to the Jewish ghetto's buildings.
Its opulent interior, with extensive gilding against a background
of dark reds, greens, and browns, has been restored and now houses
poignant displays that illustrate the story of Bohemian and Moravian
Jewish communities from the 18th century onwards.
Pinkas Synagogue (circa 16th century) at Siroka Street No. 3 was
originally intended as a private place of worship for Aaron Horowitz,
but was transformed into a memorial for the 77,297 Czech Jews who
were victims of the Nazi Holocaust. With individual names inscribed
on the walls and with drawings of children from the Terezin concentration
camp, Pinkas Synagogue is one of the most moving memorials to the
fate of European Jewry.
In the early 20th century, the broad Paris Avenue was laid out on
the very fringe of Josefov to redevelop poor housing of Orthodox
Jews. The contrast between the mystery of the Jewish ghetto and
the turn-of-the century stylishness of Paris Avenue with the houses
designed in neo-Renaissance, neo-baroque and art nouveau styles
is striking. Franz Kafka, author of The Trial, was born here
in 1883. In the Memorial Hall at U Radnice No. 5, the permanent
exhibition commemorates his life and work. The work of this German
Jewish writer is further displayed in the Franz Kafka Gallery at
Staromestske Namesti (Square) No. 22. It is open daily except Mondays
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.
Under Nazi rule, the Jews suffered the horrors of the Final Solution.
The synagogues lost their congregations and some of them, like the
1930 Functionalist Synagogue at Smichov, Prague 5, were converted
into storerooms. The synagogue at Vinohrady, Prague 2, was burned
down by the Germans, while Josefov became the repository of looted
Jewish property.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 brought democracy to the former
communist Czechoslovakia, Jews deservedly won recognition from the
Czech populace for their diligence, thrift and purposefulness. Jews
managed to preserve their magnificent monuments that, today, attract
an increasing number of tourists.
For more information about Jewish Prague, visit the Jewish Museum
at U Stare Skoly Street No. 1 in Prague 1, or visit www.jewishmuseum.cz.
For transportation and accommodation information, contact the Czech
Travel Agency, Lydia Schulz, at 4857 Kingsway in Burnaby or call
604-433-5112.
Lani Jeffrey is a Czech Canadian photographer, writer
and fine arts teacher living in Deep Cove.
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