Prague: Exploring the Jewish Quarter

Prague is a city with a long and tragic past, the Jewish population murdered by the Nazis, their country signed over to others with no say from Czechoslavakia itself, and their people brutalised under a harsh communist regime. This is a city of two Defenistrations (one involving a dung heap), countless protests and eventually, victory. For having such a dark past, it was a beautiful, cultural, colourful and friendly city.

We began our adventure in the Jewish quarter, getting a pass to a number of Synagogues which proved to be well worth the money. Starting with the Maisel synagogue, we found it held a number of artefacts as it had been mainly turned into a museum. It housed many objects displaced during World War II by Nazis and it is theorised that Hitler planned this synagogue to be a 'museum to an extinct place'. The one positive of this horrific ideal is that it helped to keep many priceless and culturally important artefacts safe. 

This innocent and indeed rather fancily written letter is in fact an edict by Empress Maria Theresa expelling all Jews from Prague in 1744. 

Our next stop was the Pinkas synagogue, although far older then the Maisel- dating to 1535- it looked the same age. I suppose it must have been heavily renovated over time. The most memorable factor of this small synagogue was the writing on the walls. Over plain whitewash the names of the 77,000 Czech Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The number of names was utterly staggering, and difficult to to take in that line upon line of these words symbolised children, women, men, grandparents - whole families, all of them wiped out. Upstairs this was reinforced with a moving exhibition showing children's drawings from the time. Not only of occupied Czkechsolvakia, but also deportation, the work camps, and death camps. The camp conditions, domateries and frightening prison gaurds drawn in childish scrawl were extremely sad. 

Passing through this somber church we came to a back entrance, leading through the Old Jewish Cemetary. Opened in 1439 and closing during the 1700s, it was spared during the Nazi regime that saw many other graveyards, synagogues and places of importance destroyed. Possibly it is due to Hitler ordering this graveyard to be kept intact - for the goal of using it as part of the 'Museum of an Extinct Race' after the final solution to the Jewish problem was carried out - that ensured its survival during World War II. 

The Spanish synagogue was the highlight for me simply for its beauty.  Built in 1868 in a heavily Moorish style, the busy golden patterns created a stunning visage.

Used by the nazis during World War II as a repository for jewish items, this ensured its survival. As to why it is called the Spanish synagogue, funnily enough no one really knows. 

One of my favourite legends that originated from Prague was the mysterious Golem, built by a 16th century rabbi to defend the Prague ghetto from anti Semitic-attacks. Legend tells that the Golems body lies in an attic of the Old-New synagogue until needed again, when it will be restored back to life.