The Old-New Synagogue

Please do not underestimate the rather austere building standing before you, because it’s no other than the oldest synagogue still in activity in Central Europe. I know, it doesn’t look like it, but it’s true! When it was built in 1270, it was originally called the “New Synagogue” as it replaced an even older structure. But why is it now the “Old-New Synagogue”? As more of them came along, its name was changed so that people could distinguish it from newer ones that followed. If you’re not lost after all this explanation, congratulations, you now know the story behind its unusual name! Built below ground level as a symbol of humility, the synagogue served as a refuge from the horrific massacres of April 1389. With 3,000 Prague Jews murdered, this traumatic event deeply affected the community.For years, bloodstains remained on the synagogue’s interior walls, a haunting reminder of the past. Some Jewish legend claims that, within these walls, the mystical Golem was born. One thing is for sure: the Old-New Synagogue was and will forever be the spiritual heart of Prague’s Jewish community.