Jubilee Jerusalem Synagogue in Prague

The Jubilee Synagogue of Emperor Francis Joseph I was exhibited as a replacement for the demolished synagogues after the clean-up of the Prague ghetto. It is the youngest and at the same time the largest synagogue of the Prague Jewish community. The building is an interesting mixture of Art Nouveau and Moorish style.

The first project of the synagogue in the neo-Romanesque style by the builder Alois Richter was created in 1899, the second project in the neo-Gothic style by the builder Josef Linhart in 1901. The third project was developed in 1903 by the well-known Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny . This was approved the following year, and in 1905–06 the building was built at the association’s expense by builder Alois Richter. One of the most curious obstacles in the construction of the synagogue was the objection raised by the nearby congregation of St. Jindřich, that “singing from the synagogue will disturb Christian believers on Sundays”. On the holiday of Simchat Torah, the new synagogue was dedicated on September 16, 1906. The synagogue was named Jubilee in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the reign of Francis Joseph I.

The facade is decorated with Moorish arches, a rosette, beautiful Iberian red and white stripes of stone and lots of colors, with which the synagogue shines on the whole Jerusalem street. The interior is a diverse mixture of Moorish elements with detailed art nouveau painting . The colorful decoration of the nave, wall painting and stucco was provided by F. Fröhlich’s company. The synagogue has 850 seats and a separate balcony for women . With the exception of the protectorate period, when the synagogue served as a warehouse, services are still held here. After the first major reconstruction in the 1990s, richly painted ornaments in the style of the Viennese Art Nouveau, which no other synagogue in the world has , were discovered under layers of plaster and a layer of old painting on about twenty-five square meters. In 2003, a survey of the wall paintings was carried out and a parchment scroll was found hidden under one of the marble slabs , which had lain untouched for almost a century. This scroll describes the history of the building, information about the builders and craftsmen who participated in the construction of the synagogue…etc. The greatest jewel is the repaired original organ , originally powered by an electric motor designed by František Křižík .

The permanent exhibition in the synagogue entitled ” The Jewish Community in Prague from 1945 to Today ” represents the hitherto unknown post-war history of the Jewish Community in Prague and, with the help of unique photographs, documents and documentary films , captures the key moments of its existencefrom the end of World War II to the present. The synagogue is open daily, services are held here on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance to the Jerusalem Synagogue.

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Jubilee Synagogue in Prague