Klausen Synagogue in Josefov

The synagogue in close proximity to the Old Jewish Cemetery is Prague’s only preserved synagogue built in the Baroque period. Today there is a permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum called Jewish Traditions and Customs. In the part dedicated to Jewish liturgy, you can see a scroll of the Torah and prayer books. Another part presents Jewish holidays and rituals, which include birth, circumcision and wedding. The exhibition features items that are associated with these rituals and also objects that are traditionally used in Jewish households.

History of the synagogue

The synagogue was originally a compound of three buildings constructed at the end of the 16^th century by the significant Prague Jew Mordechai Maisel. One part was founded by Rabbi Loew as a Talmud university, the second was a prayer room and the third was used for ritual bathing and caring for the sick.

Museum as a legacy of Jewish Prague

Completed in 1694, today’s building of the Klausen Synagogue was established after the fire in the Jewish ghetto in Prague. It was the largest synagogue in the ghetto and the second main synagogue of Prague’s Jewish community. It survived the turbulent period of World War II without major difficulties and since the end of the 20^th century it has formed a part of the Jewish Museum. Visitors can see traditional equipment of the synagogue and items used for liturgy; they can also learn about Jewish holidays and essential texts of Judaism and can admire instruments and decorations that play an important role in the handling of the Torah for liturgical purposes.