Klausen Synagogue

The Klausen Synagogue

The Prague audio-guided tour invites you to quiet contemplation before the Klausen Synagogue, neighbour of the old Jewish cemetery. Behind its austere appearance hides the only preserved baroque synagogue of Prague, rich in a long history.

Three buildings behind the name

The synagogue owes its name to three small buildings of old, called Klausen. The first housed a higher school devoted to the study of the Talmud, a fundamental text of Judaism. The second held a prayer hall, and the third was intended for the baths and the care of the sick. Destroyed in the great fire of 1689, they were replaced by the baroque building that can be admired today, in the heart of the Josefov quarter.

What there is to see

The Klausen Synagogue today houses, as part of the Jewish Museum of Prague, an exhibition on Jewish traditions and customs, from birth to the great festivals of the calendar. Ritual objects, manuscripts and explanations shed light on the spiritual life of the community. Its proximity to the old Jewish cemetery makes it an essential stop, marked by contemplation, of the Josefov quarter.

Practical information

The Klausen Synagogue is in the Jewish quarter of Josefov, in Prague, near the old Jewish cemetery. A member of the Jewish Museum of Prague, it can be visited according to its own schedule, with a charge, whose opening times may vary with the season and the holidays. A place of memory, it can be discovered with respect and contemplation.

Where does the name Klausen Synagogue come from?

From three small buildings called Klausen, housing a Talmudic school, a prayer hall and a place of baths and care, destroyed in 1689.

What does the Klausen Synagogue present?

An exhibition on Jewish traditions and customs, as part of the Jewish Museum of Prague; it is the only preserved baroque synagogue of the city.