Maisel Synagogue, Renaissance synagogue in Josefov, Prague, Czech Republic
The Maisel Synagogue is a tall, light-beige building in Josefov, Prague, with a steep gabled roofline and a low entrance porch covered by a red-tiled pyramidal roof topped with a golden six-pointed star. Its facade mixes Gothic Revival and baroque elements: pointed pinnacles, a large traceried window, and a central gable bearing a small panel with a six-pointed star. Below the porch roof are three arched openings, and blue metal railings with lamp posts stand in front.
A wealthy businessman received permission to build in 1590 and funded the project, with work completed in 1592. Two major fires in the following century reshaped the structure significantly, leading to major reconstruction work.
The synagogue is named after Mordechai Maisel, the ghetto benefactor who obtained the site in 1590 and the imperial privilege to build in 1591. Consecrated on Simchat Torah in 1592, it now houses the Jewish Museum's exhibition on Jewish history in the Czech lands from the 9th century to the Enlightenment, with interactive displays of old Hebrew prints and a model of Josefov before the redevelopment.
The building sits on Maiselova street in Prague 1 and is accessible daily as part of a museum complex. Visitors will find information panels and digital screens inside that help explain the collections and documents on display.
Mordechai Maisel died in 1601, and although he had bequeathed the synagogue to the Prague Jewish community, his estate was confiscated despite an imperial privilege allowing him to make a will. His last wish was fulfilled only after decades of litigation.
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