Prague Jewish Heritage
Because Prague is a city rich in historical and cultural sites offering its visitor infinity of entertainment options, planning a 5-day stay in the city can be overwhelmingly challenging. In my case, one of the biggest challenges I had to face as a first time visitor to Prague, was the fact that my spouse and I are completely different when it comes to the ‘what to explore’ and the ‘where to travel’ preferences. While I, strongly prefer exploring new places using a common tourist guide and a map – my spouse can walk aimlessly all day long, as he merges himself into the crowd, spontaneously enjoying the taste of unexpected experiences.
After a long typical debate we had during dinnertime on our first evening in Prague, we decided to dedicate our second day in Prague to visiting Josefov – the Jewish Quarter. Josefov Jewish Quarter is named after the Austrian emperor Josef II Habsburg, who ruled in Prague between the years 1780 – 1790 and was one of the so-called “enlightened despots”. Joseph was an admirer and encourager of the arts, who also promoted education and improved living conditions for Jews in Prague.
As for me, Josefov was an ideal choice, since the Jewish Quarter features some of the most significant sites of the Jewish heritage, like ancient synagogues, the Old Jewish cemetery and much more. Although my spouse considered the idea as pure compromise, surprisingly enough, he was excited just like I was. He made a little research and realized the Old Jewish Cemetery is located over there, and expected to visit Franz Kafka’s Grave (we found out later, that Franz Kafka was buried in another cemetery… but this is a completely different story). Another gimmick, was the unbelievable story of the “Prague Golem (clay automaton)”, who was created in the 16th-century, turned against its maker and had to be destroyed, but still lives in the Old-New Synagogue in Josefov.
The history of Prague’s Jewish community has still not been explored completely. Some historians share the assumption, according to which Jews populated Prague for the first time in the 10th century. Since then, they had to face repeated persecutions. By the end of the “Thirty Years War” just about 1,500 Jews lived in Prague; by the end of the 18th century the number has increased to 14,000; at around 1900 it has almost doubled, whereas in 1935, the Jewish community had reached a significant number of 35,000. Even so, less than 20 percent of the Jewish people in Prague had survived the Second World War. The Jewish community in modern Prague numbers 5000 – 6000 people, therefore the Jewish Quarter serves mostly as a museum of the Jewish heritage, and all the visitors are required to pay an entrance fee (about 300 CZK).
