Jewish Quarter Prague Wikipedia
Josefstadt is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of prague formerly the jewish quarter of the town.
Jewish quarter prague wikipedia. Nowadays the jewish community of prague numbers approximately 2 000 members a. The former jewish ghetto has been inhabited for over one thousand years grew to be self governing and once made up 25 of prague s population. Gerstl for the jewish burial society hevrah kaddishah and is in the neo romanesque style. Josefov also jewish quarter.
It is completely surrounded by the old town czech. It is named after the holy roman emperor joseph ii josef ii in czech who emancipated the jewish population making the jews citizens with equal rights. It was built in 1911 12 under the direction of architect j. Josefstadt is a town quarter and the smallest cadastral area of prague czech republic formerly the jewish ghetto of the town.
The prague jewish quarter josefov used to be called jewish town until 1850 and its history is very long and dramatic. Prague boasts one of europe s oldest recorded jewish communities first mentioned by an arab jewish traveller ibrahim ibn yaqub in 965. Since then the community never ceased to exist despite a number of pogroms and expulsions and the holocaust and subsequent antisemitic persecution by the communist regime in the 20th century. It served its purpose from the first half of 15th century till 1786.
The jewish quarter josefov in prague is located between the old town square and the vltava river. Prague is home to a number of well known cultural attractions many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th century europe. The history of the jews in prague is one of central europe s oldest and most well known. Jews supposedly settled in prague as early as the 10th century.
Originally used as a ceremonial hall and mortuary it now forms part of the jewish museum of prague holding exhibitions relating to jewish history. The torrid history of the former jewish ghetto began in the 13th century when jewish people were ordered to vacate their disparate homes and settle in this one area. The old jewish cemetery is a jewish cemetery in prague czech republic which is one of the largest of its kind in europe and one of the most important jewish historical monuments in prague. The jewish community of prague numbered some 15 000 people approx.
The quarter is often represented by the flag of prague s jewish community a yellow magen david star of david on a red field. The 17th century is considered the golden age of jewish prague. It is completely surrounded by the old town. The jewish ceremonial hall obřadní síň in czech can be found in the josefov or jewish quarter of prague the capital of the czech republic.
30 per cent of the entire population making it the largest ashkenazic community in the world and the second largest jewish community in europe after thessaloniki.