254 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp288–91 and pp292–5
View across the Old Jewish Cemetery to the Klausen Synagogue
Pinkas
Synagogue g
Pinkasova synagógaŠiroká 3. Map E3. Tel 222 326 660.
@ 133. v 17, 18.X
Staroměstská. # Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm
Sun–Fri; Nov–Mar: 9am–4:30pm. &
7 ^ http://www.jewishmuseum.czRegarded as the second oldest
synagogue in Prague, Pinkas
Synagogue was founded in
1479 by Rabbi Pinkas and
expanded in 1535 by his great-
nephew Aaron Meshulam
Horowitz. Since then, it has
been rebuilt several times.
Excavations have revealed
fascinating relics of life in the
medieval ghetto, including aStained-glass window inside the
Museum of Decorative ArtsOld Jewish
Cemetery f
Starý židovský hřbitov
Široká 3. Map D3. Tel 222 317 191
(reservations); 222 711 511 (Jewish
Museum). v 17, 18. X
Staroměstská. # Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm
Sun–Fri; Nov–Mar: 9am–4:30pm Sun–
Fri (last adm 30 mins before closing).
& 7 http://www.jewishmuseum.cz
Founded in 1478, this historic
site was, for over 300 years,
the only burial ground permit-
ted to Jews. An estimated
100,000 people are believed to
have been buried here; due to
lack of space they were buried
on top of each other, up to 12
layers deep. Today, over
12,000 grave stones exist in this
cemetery. The last burial took
place in 1787.
From the late 16th century
onwards, the tombstones were
deco rated with sym bols denot-
ing the back ground, family
name or profes sion of the
deceased. The tomb of writer
and astro n o mer David Gan
(1541–1613) is adorned with
sym bols representing his name
- a Star of David and a goose.
The most visited tomb in the
cemetery is that of Rabbi Löw,
a 16th-century philoso pher
mikva (ritual bath). The core
of the present build ing is a hall
with Gothic vault ing. The gal-
lery for women was added in
the early 17th century.
The synagogue now serves
as a memorial to all the Jewish
Czechoslovak citizens who
were imprisoned in the Terezín
concentration camp and later
deported to various Nazi exter-
mi nation camps. The names
of the 77,297 Czech Jews who
went missing during the
Holocaust are inscribed on the
walls. There is also a haunting
display of children’s draw ings
from the Terezín camp.and scholar who was believed
to possess magi cal powers
(see p253). Visitors place a
pebble on his grave as a
mark of respect. Elsewhere,
frag ments of 14th-century
Gothic tomb stones can be
seen embed ded in the wall,
bought from an older Jewish
cemetery in Staré Město.
Near the entrance to the
cemetery stands the Klausen
Synagogue. It has a rich dis-
play of religious objects in its
fine, barrel-vaulted interior.Museum of
Decorative Arts h
Uměleckoprůmyslové
muzeum17 listopadu 2. Map D3. Tel 251
093 111. @ 133. v 17, 18.
X Staroměstská. # 10am–6pm
Wed–Sun, 10am–7pm Tue. & ^The museum’s collection of
glass is one of the largest in
the world, but space con-
straints mean that only a
frac tion of it is on display.
Pride of place goes to the
Bohemian glass, of which
there are many fine Baroque
and 19th- and 20th-century
pieces. Other exhibits include
Meissen porcelain, Gobelin
tapestries, costumes, textiles,
photographs and some
exquisite furniture.