the history of prague

8/9/2019 The History of Prague

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1348 : Charles IV founds the New Town and the Charles University , thefirst university in Central Europe.

1357 : Charles IV begins the reconstruction of the main bridge over Vltava(Judith Bridge), which will later become Charles Bridge .

1410 : Building of the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town andexcommunication of Jan Hus, the most important Czech reformer, laterdeclared a heretic and burned at the stake ( 1415 ). The Czech peopleconsidered him a martyr and started the Hussites revolutionarymovement.

1420 : Hussites are victorious in the fights against the Emperors Catholiccrusades, under the lead of Jan Zizka, the brilliant leader who inventedmobile artillery. Jan Zizka died in 1424.

1458 : George of Podebrady, the last Czech king is crowned.

1526 : Beginning of the Habsburg dynasty in Prague. Ferdinand I crownedking of Bohemia.

1583-1612 : The rule of Rudolf II, Renaissance reaches Prague and thecity becomes the emperors residence and centre of social and cultural life.

1620 : After the lost battle of the White Mountain and the execution of 27

Protestant leaders in 1621, Bohemia becomes a province of Austria andthe Czech language and Czech national consciousness begin to decline.

1648 : The end of the 30 YearsWar. Prague Castle occupied by theSwedes.

1740 : Maria Theresa becomes the new Empress of the Empire.

1784 : Prague so far independent towns: Hradcany, Lesser Town, OldTown and New Town unite and form a single unit.

1805 : Napoleon defeats the Czech, Austrians, Russians at Austerlitz(Slavkov).

1800-1900 : Prague grows into a new city, national values arerediscovered and Czech language is re-established as the officiallanguage.

1868 : Foundation of the National Theatre on the bank of Vltava.

1875 : The first Horse-Tram runs in Prague, on a route leading from The

National Theatre to Karlin.(in September 2005 the Prague PublicTransport Company celebrated 130 years of existence ).
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1881 : The National Theatre is destroyed in a fire, the inhabitants of Prague collect money for its re-construction.

1883 : Re-opening of the National Theatre.

1912 : The Municipal House is opened.

1918 : Tomas G. Masaryk becomes the firs elected president of the newindependent state the Czeckoslovak Republic. Prague becomes the capitalof the new state.

1938 After political betrayal of allied, Germany occupied Sudetenland andin 1939 whole country.

1939-1945 : Prague is under the occupation of the Nazi (Prague is the

capital of the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia)

1945 : Hundreds of Praguers killed in an air raid of U.S. Air Force (due toa mistake of the pilots the target was Dresden)

1945 : Uprising against the Nazis during the last days of World War II,ended with the arrival of the Soviet Red Army.

1948 : The Communist Party assumes the political power in the country.

1968 : Members of the Warsaw Pact (5 states) invade Prague in order torepress the Prague Spring . Over 100 protesters are killed as troopsenter the city.

1989 : Prague is the main centre of the Velvet Revolution (the end of Communist Era in Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel elected President of Czechoslovakia).

1993 : 1 st of January, Czechoslovakia splits in two and the Czech Republicis founded.

1993 : 26 th of January, Prague declared once again capital of the CzechRepublic. Vaclav Havel elected president.

History of Prague through the Centuries

9th century

- The Prague Castle is founded around 880 by prince Boivoj of the Premyslid dynasty.- Prague is established.- Some members of the Premyslid dynasty embrace Christianity brought to the Czech lands by Cyril- and Methodius, the "apostles of the Slavs".

10th century

- Foundations are laid to St. Vitus Rotunda an d the Vyehrad Castle.

- The Prague bishopric is founded in 973.
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11th century

- Vratislav II becomes the first Czech king in 1085 but remains subordinate to the Holy Roman Empire- and the German king.

12th century

- The first stone bridge over the Vltava, Judith Bridge, is built i n 1172.

13th century- The Old Town ( Star msto ) is founded in 1231.- The Lesser Town ( Mal Strana ) is founded in 1257.

14th century - Prague's Golden Age

- John of Luxembourg rules the country (1310-1346).- The Prague Castle Area ( Hradany ) is founded around 1320.- The Old Town Hall is founded in 1338.- Judith Bridge collapses in a flood in 1342.- Charles IV rules the country (1346-1378) and will be remembered as the most beloved Czech king.- Prague becomes one of the most prosperous cities in Europe and the cultural capital of Central- Europe.- The Prague bishopric is upgraded to an archbishopric.- Construction of St. Vitus cathedral begins.- The New Town ( Nov msto ) is founded in 1348.- Charles University is established in 1348 and becomes the first university in Central Eu rope.

- Charles IV elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355; Prague becomes the capital of the Holy Roman- Empire.- Construction of Charles Bridge begins in 1357.

15th century

- The Hussite wars are sweeping the country from 1419 to 1437 as a result of the religious con flicts- between the Hussites and the Roman Catholic Church. Many historical artifacts are destroyed and- the Prague Castle deteriorates.

16th century and Prague's Second Golden Age

- The reign of the Habsburg dynasty begins in 1526 and the seat of power moves to Vienna.- Prague Castle is reconstructed in the Renaissance style and a number of recreational sites are added- (the Royal Garden, the Belvedere, the Ballgame Hall, etc.)- Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned the Czech king in 1575 and moves his court back to- Prague in 1583. Prague becomes the center of science and alchemy and earns the n ickname "Magic

- Prague". Many famous scientists are attracted to Prague, such as astronomers Tycho de Brahe and- Johannes Kepler.

17th century

- The Protestant uprising begins in 1618.- Protestants are severely defeated in the Battle of the White Mountain ( bitva na Bl hoe ) in 1620.- The Dark Age of the Czech history ( doba temna ) begins.- Prague loses importance and the Prague Castle deteriorates.

18th century

- The four independent urban areas of Prague (Old Town, Mal Strana, Hradany, New Town) are- united by Joseph II in 1784.- A Czech nationalist movement called the National Revival ( nrodn obrozen ) begins in 1784.- The Czech language, culture and national identity are being brought back to life.- Joseph II issues the Edict of Tolerance in 1781, granting political and religious rights to religious- minorities.

19th century

- The Industrial Revolution begins.- A railway between Vienna and Prague opens in 1845.- The growing industry results in an in crease of Prague's Czech population as people move to the city- from the countryside.- Josefov is added to Prague's historical center in 1850.- The National Revival continues. Czech i nstitutions are established to celebrate the Czech history- and culture: the National Theater opens in 1868, the National Museum opens in 1890.

20th century

- The Austro-Hungarian empire falls in 1918 and Prague becomes the capital of independent- Czechoslovakia.- Prague Castle becomes the seat of the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tom Garrigue Masaryk.- Prague becomes close with Paris between WWI and WWII.

- Prague and the rest of the country are occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II (1939-1945).- The Prague Uprising and liberation by the Soviet Red Army end World War II in 1945.- The Communist Party seizes power after the February 25, 1948 coup d'etat.


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- Alexander Dubek, secretary of the Communist Party, attempts to create "socialism with a human- face", culminating in the spring of 1968 ("Prague Spring").- "Prague Spring" fails and five Warsaw Pact member countries invade Czechoslovakia on August 21,- 1968.- The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague on November 17, 1989 and brings an end to communism.- Czechoslovakia becomes a democratic country.

It all started a million years ago

The Prague basin has offered settlements excellent natural conditions since prehistoric times. Its

elevation put it in a position that was relatively easy to defend, and it had fertile soil and plenty of water.

The first hunting party arrived here roughly one million years ago. Long-term inhabitation was

established during the early Stone Age (about 5500 BC - 4300 BC). Archaeologists have documented all

kinds of prehistoric Central European cultures here.

Around halfway through the 6 th century AD the Slavs moved into Prague's environs. Germanic and Slavic

settlements existed side by side here for some time, though the Slavs eventually outnumbered theirneighbours. In the 8 th century the Slavs built a network of colonies. In the second half of the 9 th century

a settlement was founded on the hilltop site where Prague Castle was later built. From here the historical

city unfurled.

A city under a prince's castle and around marketplaces

In the decade of 880 to 890, the Prague settlement became the permanent seat of the ruling Premyslid

princes. Borivoj I first had the Church of Our Lady (kostel P. Marie) built here. The construction of the

Basilica of St. George and St. Vitus' Rotunda followed. At the foot of the castle hill a new settlement

sprung up by the shallow crossing points over the Vltava River, where long trade routes converged.

A connecting road between Prague Castle and the second seat of the principality the newly built

Vysehrad was another important route to the newly established town. The establishment of Prague's

episcopacy in 973 strengthened its central position in the nascent Czech state.

During the 11 th century the medieval city began to expand from the right bank of the Vltava River and

around a large marketplace that is today's Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti). From the start, the

city evolved as a multinational centre: Na Porici was once a settlement of German merchants, and the

oldest reference to a Jewish settlement comes from the end of the 11th

century.

Prague's three towns

Medieval Prague originated as an agglomeration of towns and several smaller settlements of craftsmen,

merchants, and farmers. Stone fortifications protected Prague's Old Town as it grew from the right bank

of the Vltava. In 1257, Premysl Otakar II founded Prague's Smaller Town (Mensi Mesto - later renamed

Lesser Town , Mala Strana) on the left bank and summoned colonists from northern Germany to settle

there. In the 1330's Prague's third town - Hradcany - was established as a town of subjects under the

administration of the burgrave of Prague Castle.
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The Imperial Seat and Prague's fourth town

Woodcut from the Nurnberg Chronicle (1493)

With the accession of the Luxembourg family to the Czech throne, the Romanesque city was converted to

the Gothic style. John of Luxembourg strengthened the legal stature of Prague's towns and laid the

cornerstone of Prague's cathedral. During his reign, Pope Clement VI promoted Prague's diocese toarchdiocese.

John's son and successor, Charles IV, dutifully carried out his program to transform Prague into a second

Rome, the European centre of spirituality, politics, and commerce. In 1348 he founded Prague's New

Town (Nove Mesto) over an expanse of 360 hectares a modern town in the form of an extensive area

surrounding the Old Town. In Prague, during the same year, he established Central Europe's oldest

university.

The Prague Hussites

After Charles' death, university professor Jan Hus, one of the most famous medieval heretics, began to

spread his reform-centred teachings. The Hussite Wars began in 1419 with the New Town Insurrection.

Prague also headed the nobility's uprising against the Habsburgs in 1547. Although the brutal defeat of

the estate owners weakened Prague's position of power, its royal towns held their key cultural role even

during the fading of the Gothic style and the entry of the Renaissance.

The Imperial Seat of Rudolph II

Prague around 1657

In 1583 Emperor Rudolph II took up residence in Prague Castle and made Prague the centre of European

politics, art and science. An international clique of artists around the Emperor's court led the

development of European Mannerism, and Prague's towns were forming a new Renaissance city of

culture.
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The carefully selected collective of artists and scientists that Rudolph II brought to Prague to work, or at

least to visit, is impressive: painters Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Bartholomew Spranger, Hans von Aachen,

Josef Heintz, Jacob Hoefnagel, Petr Stevens, Roelant Savery, and Hans Mont; sculptors Adrian de Vries

and Giovanni Battista Quadri; etcher Wenceslas Hollar; copper engraver Aegidius Sadeler; goldsmiths

Paul van Vianen, Anton Schweinberger, and Jan Vermeyen; gemstone cutter Ottavio Miseroni; poetess

Elisabeth Westonia; composers Filip de Monte, Charles Luyton and Jakob Handl-Gallus; philosopher and

theologist Giordano Bruno; physicist Michael Mayer, astronomer Tycho de Brahe; astronomer and

mathematician Johannes Kepler; mathematician and machinist Joost B rgi; mathematician John Dee;

physician and alchemist Anselm Boethius de Boodt; the scholarly rabbi Jehuda Low ben Bezalel; and

spiritualist Edward Kelley.

The death of Rudolph II in 1612 marked the end of the most celebrated period in Prague's history. His

successor, Emperor Matthias, returned the Habsburg seat back to Vienna.

Another insurrection of the nobility ended with the slaughter of the Battle of White Hill (Bila Hora) in

1620. This was followed by the Thirty Years War. The Saxons plundered the city, already ravaged after

the Battle of White Hill, from 1631 to 1632. Then in 1648 the Swedes did the same. The city's fall from

an imperial seat to a provincial town prompted an economic collapse and a decrease in Prague's

population.

The Baroque fortress of Prague

Prague around 1800

The restorations that took place following the Thirty Years War were already connected with a new style

Baroque. Baroque buildings both new and reconstructed enriched the Prague's medieval city plan with

new dominant features and accents. Since the Renaissance period, a substantial part of construction

activity, from planning to the smallest finishing touches, had been in the hands of members of the Italian

community.

Prague's strategic importance was expressed not only in the construction of extensive Baroque

fortifications but also in unsettled wartime affairs: in 1741 1742 French troops occupied Prague and in

1744 Prussian troops occupied the city, laying siege to it again in 1757. In 1784, by the order of Emperor

Joseph II, the four so-far independent towns of Prague (Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town and

Hradcany) were joined to form one single city.


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The new city of Prague beyond the fortifications

Within the walls of the city's fortress, Prague did not feel the onset of industry and the influx of provincial

residents in the 19 th century. Immediately beyond the ramparts, however, several new towns began to

grow, including Karlin, Liben, Holesovice, Smichov, Kralovske Vinohrady, Zizkov, and others.

The city received a new promenade road with the demolition of the fortifications between the Old and

New Towns and the filling of the fortress moat. An embankment was built along the Vltava River. Several

new public buildings rose along here, all built in the Neo-Renaissance style. In 1874 most of the Baroque

fortifications and their bastions were taken down.

Prague the metropolis of an independent state

A unique cultural environment sparked Prague's transformation into a large modern European city,

primarily through the coexistence of Czech, German and Jewish cultures. The development of original

Cubist architecture was interrupted by World War I, which positioned Prague as the capital city of anindependent state.

The transformation into a big modern city continued at an increasing rate and Prague swiftly became a

well-known point on the map of modern European architecture. During his visit in 1928 Le Corbusier

himself commented with envy on Prague's large Functionalist buildings.

Prague grew in terms of both its surface area and population. The Law of Greater Prague of 1920

expanded the city and in 1922 it incorporated several neighbouring towns and citizens.

An occupied city

Not even the economic crisis at the turn of the 1920's could stop the city's expansion. However, a

disruption occurred, causing Czechoslovakia to lose its sovereignty in 1938. On March 15, 1939, the

Germans occupied all of Czechoslovakia and Adolf Hitler came to Prague.

The occupation resulted in the decimation of Prague's Jewish community, in which roughly 40 000 of its

members were murdered. Losses incurred by bombardments and battles during the Red Army's

liberation of Prague, though far from trivial, fortunately did not damage the overall character of the city.

History

Prague, nicknamed the Golden City, is the capital of the Czech republicand ancient Bohemia. The offices of the current President of the Czech

Republic, Vaclav Klaus, are in the Prague Castle. Today, Prague looks likea fairytale village and is more beautiful than at any other time during its

one thousand-year history.

Before the Holocaust , and for many centuries, it was one of the most

important Jewish centers in Europe. Documentary evidence reveals that
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Jews have lived in Prague since 970 C.E. By the end of the 11 th century, aJewish community had been fully established.

In the late 11 th century and early 12 th century, the Jews of Prague sufferedfrom persecution: first, in 1096, at the hands of the Crusaders , and

second, during the siege of the Prague Castle in 1142. During the siege,the oldest synagogue in Prague and sections of the Jewish quarter on theleft side of the Vltava (Moldau) River near the castle were burned down.Many survivors of the crusades were forced to convert to Christianity . In1179, the church announced that Christians should avoid touching Jews.In this period, civil rights granted to Jews were severely limited and they

were forced to build their community on the right bank of the Vltava, closeto Staromestske Namesti, the Old Town Square. This limited their

movements and identified them as a minority group. This was the origin of the Jewish ghetto. By day movement was free, but in the evening and on

festivals the gates of the ghetto were locked.

The situation did not improve in the early 13 th century. In 1215, theFourth Lateran Council mandated that Jews must wear distinctive clothes,were prohibited from holding public office and were limited in the amount

they could charge for interest on loans. Jews were also consideredservants ( servi camerae ) of the Royal chambers.

During the early to mid 14 th century, Emperor Charles IV and hisson/successor, Wenceslas, relinquished some of their power over the

Jewish community and allowed others to manage Jewish affairs in returnfor a large sum of money. Charles IV and Wenceslas allowed estates torenege on loans owned to Jewish lenders. This was the beginning of thepower struggle, which lasted into the 15 th and 16 th centuries, between

royalty, Burgher landowners and the countryside nobility over the controlof Jewish affairs and finances.

During Easter 1389, members of the Prague clergy announced that Jewshad desecrated the host (Eucharistic wafer) and the clergy encouragedmobs to pillage, ransack and burn the Jewish quarter. Nearly the entire

Jewish population of Prague (3,000 people) perished. Many of theremaining women and children were baptized. One of the few survivors,

Rabbi Avigdor Kara (who lived until 1439 and whose tomb is preserved inthe Old Jewish Cemetery), wrote a moving elegy describing the attack;

this elegy is still read every year in Prague on Yom Kippur .

In the 15 th century, the Hussite Wars brought a decline in royal authority.A new political balance existed that favored the nobility and Burgher

(middle class residents of the cities) and landowners living in thecountryside. Jews were forced to pledge allegiance to various groups and

to give them money in return for protection. However, it was unclearwhich side could offer the best protection, leaving Jews to play one side
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off the other. During this period, the Burgher populations within the citiesbegan to take jobs once held by Jews, such as banking.

In the second half of the 15 th century, the first Hebrew press wasestablished in Prague. In the beginning it was small, but it began to grow

and gain a reputation around Europe, especially for its Passover Haggadah, which became the model in Europe for subsequent haggadot .

Prague Renaissance

The 16 th century is considered to be the age of the Prague Renaissance.The ghetto became a center of Jewish mysticism. Artisans and

intellectuals came from all over Europe and congregated in Prague. Forthe most part, Jews were isolated from the high culture outside their

community; however, a number of Jews became mathematicians,

astronomers, geographers, historians, philosophers and artists andparticipated in the Renaissance.

In 1501, the landed nobility, called the Bohemian Lantag, reaffirmed theancient privileges of the Jews of Prague and fostered an open atmosphere

for economic activity.

From 1522 to 1541, the Jewish population of Prague almost doubled;many Jewish refugees, who were expelled from Moravia, Germany , Austria

and Spain , came to Prague. The Jewish Quarter officially became the

ghetto, however, its transition was not marked by any known legislation.During this period, the ghetto expanded because Jews were givenpermission to acquire lands adjacent to the ghetto to be used to build

homes.

In 1541, a struggle between Ferdinand I and the Burghers resulted in aBurgher demand that Jews be expelled from Prague. Ferdinand I

announced the Jews would have to leave Prague, but lifted the ban fouryears later (the actual expulsion only lasted two years since the ban only

went into effect two years after it was announced). Another temporaryexpulsion for the Jews of Prague took place in 1557. Following Ferdinands

death in 1564, the situation improved for Prague Jewry.

During the reign of Maximilian (1564-1576) and Rudolf II (1576-1612),there was a golden age for Jewry in Prague. Rudolph was considered aweak leader and was indifferent to the Catholic Counter-Reformation in

the Hapsburg Empire. This allowed a large number of scientists andintellectuals to assemble in Prague and speak and practice without

impediments from the church. Economic freedom was given to the Jewsand a flowering of Jewish culture occurred.
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One of the famous Jewish scholars and educators of the time was Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1525-

1609), also known as the Maharal. Rabbi Loewpublished more than 50 religious and philosophical

books and became the center of legends, as themystical miracle worker who created the Golem . The

Golem is an artificial man made of clay that wasbrought to life through magic and acted as a guardianover the Jews. The Maharal had positive relations with

Rudolph II and was even invited to his castle. About7,000 Jews lived in Prague during the time of Rabbi

Loew.

Three other well-known Jewish figures of the time were David Gans(1541-1613), a mathematician, historian and astronomer; Jacob Bashevi

(1580-1634), a financier and the first Jew to be knighted under theHapsburg Empire; and Mordechai Maisel, a brilliant financier, businessman

and philanthropist. Maisel served as the mayor of the Jewish town,sponsored many Jewish organizations, funded the building of a public

bathhouse, ritual baths and an almshouse, and donated money to buildthe Jewish town hall and numerous synagogues (including the High

Synagogue). He paid for the paving of the streets of the Jewish quarter,gave money to charities to help feed the poor, clothe the needy and

provide doweries for poor women. Not only did Maisel contribute moneyfor local causes, he donated Torah scrolls to Jewish communities around

the world, including Jerusalem . Maisel also maintained good relations withRudolf II; he helped Rudolph finance a war against Turkey and in returnwas given permission to loan money.

In the early 18 th century, more Jews lived in Prague than anywhere else inworld. In 1708, Jews accounted for one-quarter of Pragues population.

Unfortunately, the golden age ended with the ascension of Empress MariaTheresa who expelled the Jews from Prague from 1745 to 1748.

The Jews returned to Prague, the gates of the ghetto were opened, and

conditions improved during the reign of Emperor Joseph II (1780-90).Joseph II issued the Edict of Toleration in October 1781, which affirmedthe notion of religious tolerance. He allowed Jews to participate in all

forms of trade, commerce, agriculture and the arts. Jews wereencouraged to build factories and school systems. Jews were even allowed

to attend institutions of higher learning. In the chedar (study rooms), awestern-style education was encouraged. Jews were not only taughtHebrew and Yiddish , but also basic accounting. The government also

required Jews to switch their business records from Hebrew and Yiddish toGerman to facilitate better government monitoring. In fact, the Jews

appreciated Joseph II so much that they named the Jewish town, Josefov,after him, and this name still exists today.

The Maharal's Grave
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During the 19 th century, Jews gradually becameemancipated. Temporary civil equality was granted to

Jews under the law in 1849. The ghetto was abolished in1852 and Josefov became a district of Prague. In the

1800s, Jews became caught up in the culture warsbetween the Czech-speaking middle class and the

German-speaking members of the Austro-HungarianEmpire. From the 1830s to the 1870s, Jews began toadopt the German language and assimilated Germancultural patterns. Following the 1870s, however, the

growth of Czech nationalism increased the level of antagonism felt by the Jews. By the last quarter of the 19 th century, anetwork of Jewish institutions dedicated to Czech-Jewish acculturation

emerged; however, not all Jews supported them - some remained faithfulto German language and culture, while others favored the new ideology of

Zionism.

In 1899, Zionism began to become popular in Prague among the youngprofessionals and students. They formed their own Zionist organization,

Bar Kochba, which published Selbstwehr (Self-defense), a Zionistbiweekly publication in Prague from 1907 to 1938. Conflict between theZionists and the Czech-Jewish nationalists existed; Jewish nationalists(Zionists) did not want to be involved in the national conflict over the

usage of German and Czech language, while the Czech-Jewishassimilationists were involved because they resented the German

denigration of Czech culture and also wanted to have a rapprochementbetween Jews and Slavs in Czech lands.

German was spoken widely among many members of the Prague Jewishcommunity and continued to be taught despite the tensions with the

Czech-Jewish nationalists. During the first decades of the 20 th Century,German-speaking Jews in Prague produced a large body of internationallyacclaimed literature. The most famous of these writers were Franz Kafka ,

Max Brod and Franz Werfel. This is the last generation of writers andintellectuals in Prague before the outbreak of World War II .

World War II

On March 14, 1939 , Slovakia declared independence from Prague andsigned the Treaty of Protection with Nazi German y. The next day,

Germany occupied Czech lands. At the outbreak of World War II, over92,000 Jews lived in Prague, almost 20 percent of the citys population.

Prague was one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe. At least two-thirds of the Jewish population of Prague perished in the Holocaust .

In the Czech Republic, about 26,000 members of the Czech Jewishcommunity escaped and emigrated to various countries and regions,including Palestine , the United States , South America and Western
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Europe . Not all Czech Jews were so fortunate. Of the vast marority of Czech Jews were imprisoned in Terezin , 80 percent of those were

deported to Auschwitz , Maidanek , Treblinka and Sobibor . Other CzechJews were sent directly to death camps . Over 97,000 perished, of which

were 15,000 Czech Jewish children. Only 132 of those children wereknown to have survived.

More than a quarter of a million Czechoslovak Jews were murdered in theHolocaust and more than 60 synagogues in the Czech lands were

destroyed.

Post-World War II

Following the war, about 15,000 Czech Jews remained. By 1950, half of them emigrated to Israel.

On May 9, 1945 , as Germany was being defeated, the Soviet Red Armyentered Prague. A provisional government was installed, but the Sovietpresence enabled the Communist party to gain influence. In February

1948, the provisional government was ousted, and the Communist Partytook power. From 1948 to 1949, the Soviet block supported the newly

created State of Israel and therefore allowed Jews in the Czech Republicto immigrate to Israel. However, following 1949, emigration was virtually

impossible and Jewish life was stifled by the Communist regime. Underpressure from Stalin, its leaders were soon encouraged to stamo out

religious and cultural activity, including Judaism. The regime demolishedaround 90 synagogues amd dozens of Jewish cemeteries were shut down.

In 1952, Rudolf Slansky, then general secretary of the Czech CommunistParty, and 13 others were accused of being disloyal elements amd of

participating in a Trotskyite-Zionist conspiracy against the Communistparties in Central Europe. Eleven of the 14 accused were Jewish and eightamong then were executed. In subsequent trials, hundreds of Jews were

sentenced to long-term imprisonment, sent to hard labor withour trial anddismissed from their posts. Those Jews who remained in Prague kept their

Jewish identity a secret during these times.

By the mid-1960s, the obvious anti-semitism was replaced with state anti-semitism. Communist rule was unpopular and ruthless, and a movement

demanding socialism with a human face gradually emerged in the1960s. In 1968, a Slovak Communist, Alexander Dubcek, became theparty leader and, in a movement called the Prague Spring, began to

introduce sweeping reforms to make the government more democratic. Heordered an end to censorship and encouraged Communist reformers to

start a broad debate about the political direction of Czechoslovakia. Manyyoung Jews were involved in the events of the Prague Spring and werenow able to ask questions openly about the Holocaust and their Jewish

heritage for the first time since World War II.
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The Soviet Union disapproved of these changes and, together with thetroops of other Soviet-bloc/Warsaw Pact countries, invaded

Czechoslovakia in August 1968. Some 90 civilians were shot dead, and3,400 Jews feld the country. The secret police kept a close eye on the

remaining Jewish community and many Jewish university professors andintellectuals lost their jobs. The subsequent period of so-called

normalization wiped out all democratic trends and intensified thestagnation in all spheres of life. From 1968 to 1989, the Holocaust could

not be mentioned, since this was considered a subversive topic by thesecret police and survivors were silenced.

As change began to sweep through Eastern Europe in the late 1980s,Czechs more openly protested and called for reform. The 1980s also sawthe Wests interest in Pragues Jewish legacy growing. In 1983 to 1985,

the Jewish Museum held its largest foreign exhibition called Precious

Legacy in cities across the United States and Canada. The exhibition hada great impact on tourism in Prague, and the reforms of Soviet leader

Mikhail Gorbachev were being broadcast and Communist attitudes beganto change throughout Europe.

Demonstrations resulted in the resignation of the Communist partyleadership in November 1989. Alexander Dubcek, the Prague Spring

reformer, was elected chairman of parliament and dissident playwrightVclav Havel, the acknowledged opposition leader who led the VelvetRevolution, a series of strikes, pickets, and celebrations, was named

president on December 29, 1989. In June 1990, the country held its firstfree election since 1946. On January 1, 1993, the country split intoSlovakia and the Czech Republic. Prague, the historical capital of the

region since the Ancient Kingdom, was adopted as the capital of the CzechRepublic .

After the election of President Havel, Jewish topics became enormouslypopular. Diplomatic relations with Israel, which were broken after the1967 Six Day War, were restored. The process of restitution of Jewish

property began immediately, and the Federation of Jewish Communities

assembled around 1,000 records of communal Jewish property. The listwas incorporated into a government bill.

The Pinkas Synagogue was reopened in 1992 as a permanent exhibitionsite of the Jewish Museum. The Maisel Synagogue was restored in 1995,

followed by the Spanish Synagogue in 1998. Both are also part of theJewish Museum. An educational and cultural center was established in

1996, that offers courses on Jewish culture, anti-semitism, Jewishtradition and religion. A program entitled Neighbors Who Disappeared

assists people in tracing Jewish friends or neighbors.
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The Jewish Community Today

Today, the Federation of Jewish Communities says about 3,000 people areregistered members of the Jewish community in the Czech Republic, of

which 1,600 live in Prague. Numbers are difficult to calculate due todecades of intermarriage and emigration. It is estimated that there are an

additional 10,000 to 15,000 unregistered Jews living in the contry. Arevival of Jewish life is occurring. Many Jews found it easier to be quietand hide their identity during the Communist era and so many peoplelearned of being Jewish only after 1989. The average age in Pragues

Jewish community has dropped from 70 (the average age in the 1980s) toabout 55 because of increased involvement of younger Jews.

There are a number of secular Jewish organizations that fall under theauspices of the FJC, including the Union of Jewish Youth, a branch of the

World Union of Jewish Students, sporting clubs Maccabi and Hakoach, theWomens Zionist Organization, and the Terezin Initiative, a non-profit thatpursues research into the history of the Nazis Final Solution in Bohemia

and Moravia.

The center of Jewish life is the historic Jewish Town Hall, which housesJewish cultural, social and religious events. A Jewish kindergarten,

sponsored by the Lauder Foundation, recently opened in Prague. A newJewish old age home also opened recently. There is also a monthly

journal, Rosh Chodesh , and a radio program called Shalom Aleichem.

Prague has many beautiful historic synagogues , and there are threeregularly functioning Orthodox synagogues in Prague: the Altneuschul

(Old-New Synagogue), the oldest functioning synagogue in Europe; theHigh Synagogue, which is modern Orthodox; and the Jubilee Synagogue,also known as the Jerusalem Synagogue. In addition, Chabad also holds

serviced at its center of Parizska Street, in the heart of Josefov. Beit Prahais a Conservative congregation and conducts Kabbalat Shabbat servicesevery Friday evening. The Reform community has several congregationsas a result of different splits, the largest of which is Beit Simcha, which is

even older than Beit Praha. The Beit Simcha community center offerseducational programs, Hebrew lessons, and holds Shabbat serviced in itslibrary. It also houses a private Jewish school and publishes a monthly

magazine called Maskil, which is distributed to all the Jewish communitiesand other institutions throughout the country. The other liberal

community, ZLU (Jewish Liberal Union), is a smaller congregation andrents a room to hold Friday night services.

Although anti-semitism is not considered a problem in the new CzechRepubluc, one of the major problems facing the Jewish community is therise of skinheads and many of the Jewish leaders are worried about the

lack of action against the rise of xenophobia and violence perpetrated bythem. They believe the skinheads are misusing their rights to free speech
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and the government should not protect them during their marches. InNovember 2007, a right-wing extremist group linked to neo-Nazis planned

a march through the Jewish Quarter. After opposition by the Jewishleaders, the march was eventually banned by City Hall. A 2000 law

outlaws Holocaust denial and provides for prison sentences of six monthsto three years for public denial, questioning and approval of or attempts

to justify the Nazi genocide.There were 5 reported acts of anti-semitism inthe Czech Republic in 2007, but anti-semitism remains on the periphery of

the society for the most part.

Tourist Sites

Prague is filled with many Jewish historical sites thatgive testament to its rich past as one of the centers of

Jewish life. Many of these can be found in Josefov,

site of the Jewish ghetto and village. A popular touristsite, the Hebrew and Roman faced clocks , (the

clock with the Hebrew letters turns counterclockwise)can be found on the offices of the Jewish Community

Federation of the Czech Republic and the Jewish TownHall. The Jewish Town Hall was built in the 16 th

century by the Jewish mayor of Josefov. Today, itserves as the center of the Jewish community in

Prague and houses the offices of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Lands. There are

two kosher restaurants in Prague. Shalom , which is located within theTown Hall, and the King Salomon Restaurant on Siroka Street opposite theentrance to the Pinkas synagogue.

A life-sized bust in black bronze of Franz Kafka on the corner of U Radniceand Maiselova marks the place where he was born on July 3, 1883. In

1991, a Kafka Museum was opened in the house where he was born. Inthe museum, there are exhibits highlighting Kafkas life, as well as Jewish

life in Prague.

The largest and most complete collection of Judaica can be found at theJewish Museum . It houses a collection of approximately 40,000 artisticartifacts and 100,000 items of printed material. Synagogue objects,

mainly textiles and silver, comprise almost two-thirds of the collection.The rest of the collection consists of household ritual items, paintings,

drawings, prints, manuscripts and photographs, as well as artifacts fromthe Terezin concentration camp, including a unique collection of childrens

drawings.

Founded in 1906, the original intent of the Jewish Museum was topreserve artifacts from the synagogues of Prague that were being

liquidated at the turn of the century due to reconstruction of the Jewishtown. The museum was closed to the public after Nazi occupation in 1939.
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The Nazis decided not to destroy the museum, but instead use it as a Museum of an Extinct Race. In fact, Hitler intended the entire Jewish

Quarter of the city to become a museum to the vanished race. TheGermans hired Dr. Karel Stein, historian and founder of the museum, to

catalogue tens of thousands of confiscated items from more than 153destroyed Jewish communities throughout Bohemia and Moravia. The

wartime Jewish staff of the museum during Nazi rule devoted themselvesto preserving this legacy, amidst constant threat of deportation and death,

having already lost their families to the Nazi concentration camps. Thestaff only survived while they could prove that they were useful to the

Nazis. The vast majority lost this fight and were deported to Terezin andAuschwitz. One survived however; Hana Volavkova returned to Prague

after the war and became the director of the Jewish Museum. Themuseum became a storehouse for over 200,000 objects, books and

archival material from all over Central Europe.

Following World War II, the museum was administered by the Council of Jewish Communities in Czechoslovakia. In 1950, ownership was

transferred to the state, and the museum was renamed the State JewishMuseum. During the 1950s, when Jewish themes were suppressed, the

only exhibition at the Jewish Museum displayed childrens drawings fromTerezin. In 1961, Vilem Benda became the director and the Millennium

Judaicum Bohemicum (The Thousand Years of the Jews of Bohemia)exhibit opened in 1968. However, the Soviets soon invaded (August

1968), and the museum fell into disrepair.

After the collapse of communism in 1989, the museums status changedagain. It is now an independent body governed by a council composed of

two representatives of the Community; two representatives of theFederation of Jewish Communities (FJC), which serves as an umbrella

organization for the Jewish institutions in the country; and onerepresentative from the Ministry of Culture. After ten years of restoration,

the Jewish Museum is one of the most famous Jewish museums in theworld. The director today is Leo Pavlat, the son of a Holocaust survivor.

Besides the main building, the Jewish Museum rents the Old JewishCemetery, the Pinkas Synagogue, the Ceremonial Hall, the KlausenSynagogue, the Maisel Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue from the

Jewish Community to display items belonging to the museum.

The Chevra Chadisha building (Burial Brotherhood Society of Prague),situated at the entrance of the Jewish Cemetery, was built in the early

1900s. The responsibility of the society was to watch over and take careof the dead body in the hours before it was going to be buried. Today thisbuilding is part of the Jewish Museum and contains a unique collection of

childrens drawings and poems from the Terezin concentration camp.

The Old Jewish Cemetery
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It is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe,opened from the 15 th century to the late

18 th century. In 1439, Avigdor Kara was thefirst person to be buried there. Over the

next 400 years, about 200,000 residents of the ghetto in Prague were buried in its

confines. Since the cemetery could onlyhold about 10 percent of that amount, thetombs are layered on top of each other, atone section reaching 12 layers. Two of the cemeterys most famous tombs

are Rabbi Loew (1609) and Mordechai Maisel (1601). Since 1990, theJewish Museum of Prague has been conserving and restoring the

cemetery. Today, about 12,000 tombstones remain.

The New Cemetery

In 1890, a second Jewish cemetery was founded in Prague and openednext to the main Christian cemetery. The tomb of Franz Kafka can befound there, with a memorial stone for his three sisters, all of whom

perished in the Holocaust .

Synagogues of Prague

There are seven synagogues open today in Prague; during the Nazi era allseven were used to store Judaica items. Five of those synagogues can be

found in the remains of the ghetto.Staranova Synagogue is also known as Altneuschul (theOld-New Synagogue). It was originally built in 1270 and

was called the New Synagogue because it was the secondsynagogue built in the Jewish quarter; the first synagogue

no longer exists. The original floor still exists, however,other parts of the building have been rebuilt because of

damage from flooding in the Jewish quarter. It is the oldestsynagogue in Europe. During the Nazi occupation, it

showcased Jewish art, religious objects and books. Today,services are still being conducted there, continuing a tradition of nearly

700 years (only interrupted between 1941-1945).

The Maisel Synagogue was originally built in 1591, thanksto a special permit given by Emperor Rudolph II. Thesynagogue is named after Mordechai Maisel, whose

money was used to build the synagogue. It has beendamaged in several fires and its current facade is due toreconstruction in 1862 to 1864. In the 19 th century, thesynagogue was the birthplace of liberal Judaism . During

the Holocaust , it housed more than 15,000 Jewish objects
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and art. Today, it functions as the primary repository of religious objects,such as silver Torah pointers, for the Jewish Museum.

The Pinkas Synagogue , built in aRenaissance style, was first mentioned in

1492. Located in a flood zone, it wasfrequently being repaired and

reconstruction occurred in 1953. One of itsfamous members was Franz Kafka, whoprayed there with his family. FollowingWorld War II, it became a memorial to

Moravian and Bohemian Jews who perishedin the war. On the walls of the synagogue, there is a list of 77,297 namesof those who died. Following the communist occupation in August 1968,all of the names were erased, but these areas have since been restored.

The synagogue was closed from 1968 until 1992 because of thepenetration of underground water. Today you may once again see the

over 77,000 names of Jews murdered in the Holocaust as well as a displayof Jewish pictures and drawings on the upper level.

The High Synagogue, located adjacent to the Jewish TownHall, can be found on the second floor of a building, not

ground level. Originally, it was only accessible from the firstfloor of the Jewish Town Hall. It was used to service the

seniors of the ghetto. At the turn of the century, its original

entrance was blocked and a new one was built on CervenaUlicka (Red Lane). Today, the High Synagogue is accessiblefrom both the first floor of the Jewish Town Hall and from theCervana Ulicka. Under the Communist reign, all synagogue,s including the

High Synagogue, belonged to the state Jewish Museum. Today, thesynagogue belongs to the Jewish community and is not part of the Jewish

Museum.

The Klausen Synagogue is located adjacent to theentrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was built on

land acquired by the late Mordechai Maisel. Thesynagogue, built in an early baroque style, wascompleted in 1694. It was remodeled a couple of time

and the last adaptation took place again in 1883 to1884. During the Holocaust , imagery of the Jewishfestivals and life cycle events were displayed. The

synagogue was restored to display exhibitions of oldHebrew manuscripts and prints for the Jewish Museum.

Built in 1867 to 1868, using Moorish decorations, theSpanish Synagogue provides an interesting contrast to the

other synagogues in Prague because its interior is filledwith Moorish and Islamic designs and art. During the
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Holocaust, it was used to store Torah curtains. Today, it houses theheadquarters for the entire Jewish Museum system.

Finally, there is the Jubilee Synagogue . This synagogue was built in theearly 20 th century in the New Town of Prague. Currently, it is used to hold

prayer services.

Terezin Concentration Camp

The Terezin concentration camp, located about 60 kilometers from Prague,was meant to be the model concentration camp , which was shown to the

outside world. Originally built as a military fortress by Joseph II, Terezinwas a Big Fortress with a Small Fortress inside of it. While a military

garrison, it looked like a mini-village, or a ghetto. Jews from Bohemia,Moravia and the rest of Europe were brought here and then were sent to

the death camps. More than 30,000 Jewish adults and children died inTerezin. Once a child turned 14 years old, they were treated as an adult.Fifteen hundred children lived at Terezin during the Holocaust, and only

100 survived. The ashes of 30,000 people were thrown into the EigerRiver in 1944 .

A small storeroom inside the town of Terezin was usedas a makeshift synagogue during the Holocaust . FadingHebrew inscriptions can be found on the walls; on thefront wall is a verse from the Amidah prayer, May our

eyes be able to envision your return to Zion in mercy. Another wall, which stands near the railway track usedto transport Jews to Auschwitz , also contains verses inHebrew from the liturgy, as well as drawings of Jewishsymbols. The writings and drawings were most likely

done by a German Jewish ceramic worker who lived inthe town during the Holocaust; the Nazis needed

craftsmen for labor and therefore let them live in relative comfort. Thisroom was unknown to the public until after the fall of Communism

because the owner of the home kept the room secret; it was forbidden to

talk about Judaism during the Communist rule.
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the history of prague

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