Klausen Synagogue stands in Prague’s Josefov district and now houses an exhibition on Jewish life, customs and history in Central Europe. Built in the Baroque style in 1694, it has a vaulted interior with stucco details and colored glass windows. Hebrew manuscripts, prints and religious objects give the visit its focus, including a Torah scroll kept behind curtains. It is a useful stop for seeing how a historic synagogue has become part of the Jewish Museum’s exhibition route.
A Baroque synagogue in Josefov
Klausen Synagogue was built in 1694 on a site that had held a small Jewish school and prayer houses. Its name comes from klaus, a word for a small building, and refers to three earlier structures associated with the site. The synagogue was founded by Mordechai Maisel, then head of Prague’s Jewish community.
The building is the only example of early Baroque architecture in the former Jewish ghetto. Its interior has a barrel-vaulted ceiling and stucco decoration. The building was remodeled in 1884.
The exhibition inside
The synagogue now presents material on Jewish life, customs and traditions. Hebrew prints and manuscripts trace Jewish history in Central Europe back to the early Middle Ages. Religious objects are displayed here too, including a Torah scroll kept behind curtains.
Take time to look up at the ceiling and notice the colored glass and stucco details. The exhibition is part of the Jewish Museum’s wider collection of sites in Josefov.
FAQ
What can you see inside Klausen Synagogue?
The exhibition covers Jewish life, customs and traditions, with Hebrew prints, manuscripts and religious objects. A Torah scroll is displayed behind curtains.
When is Klausen Synagogue less crowded?
The afternoon is a good time to visit for fewer crowds than in the morning.
Where is Klausen Synagogue?
It is in Josefov, Prague’s former Jewish Quarter.
