Old Prague and Jewish Quarter: Day 6

 We deepened our knowledge of Prague with a walking tour of almost four hours.

Prague Castle rises high above the city

Prague was founded in the 10th Century and reached a magnificent status in the 1300s under the rule of Charles IV, who was a Holy Roman Emperor and Bohemian king. Charles took residence in Prague and therefore he did much to develop life in Prague with the founding of Charles University, construction of the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, and the design and start of St Vitus Cathedral. Charles also welcomed back the Jewish community, and encouraged the growth of the Jewish Quarter, called Josefov.

King Charles IV

The Municipal House - includes a concert hall and other public facilities

House of the Golden Ring - a medieval site with a Gothic portal

Our students and the famous astronomical clock

Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle rising in the background

Tribute to native son Franz Kafka

Prague's Jewish neighborhoods date back to the late 900s and Prague has been home to Jewish residents off and on for hundreds of years. In the more recent past, under the reign of Queen Maria Theresa Jews were expelled from Prague (circa 1744) but returned to the city after the Edict of Tolerance was decreed in 1782 by Emperor Joseph II. The Jewish Quarter, called Josefov, includes several synagogues which we visited today.

A wall in Pinkas Synagogue lists the concentration camps where Prague Jews were taken

Names in yellow are towns, in red are surnames. and in black are given names.

These are samples of the more than 70,000 names of Prague Jews who were killed in the Shoah. They are listed on the synagogue's walls according to the last known place of residence. May their memory be a blessing.

Maisel Museum includes a flyover video of the Jewish Quarter (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noMwDl8BofM )

Maisel is no longer an active synagogue but serves as a museum. Note the special "cap" within the Star of David which serves as special insignia to the Jews of Prague.

Below, an artifact from Terezin, which we will visit tomorrow. This young artist-child, with such artistic talent and imagination, perished for no good reason. The artifact now rests in Pinkas Synagogue.