Klausen Synagogue, Synagogue in Josefov, Prague, Czech Republic
The Klausen Synagogue is a former synagogue in Josefov, Prague, Czech Republic. It has a rectangular layout with a women's gallery and a Torah ark, and it is the largest surviving synagogue in the former ghetto.
The synagogue was completed in 1694 on the site of a complex destroyed by fire in 1689. It was later renovated in the 1880s and served as a museum after World War II.
The name comes from the German word 'Klaus', meaning a small building, which referred to the original complex of three structures. Today, the space hosts temporary exhibitions that often focus on Jewish life and traditions.
The building sits near the entrance to the Old Jewish Cemetery, so you can easily combine a visit with a walk through that site. It is open for temporary exhibitions, and the interior is accessible for wheelchairs.
The Torah ark was funded by Samuel Oppenheimer, a financier of the Austrian monarchy, and made in 1696 as a three-tiered structure finished with artificial marble. A Hebrew inscription plate on a pillar dates the building to 1694.
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