The Spanish Synagogue of Prague: A Moorish Jewel in Bohemia
The Spanish Synagogue, Prague's youngest historic synagogue, dazzles visitors with its Moorish Revival interior. Built in 1868 on the site of the oldest Jewish prayer house in Prague.
Prague’s Most Dazzling Interior
Prague’s Jewish Quarter, Josefov, contains six historic synagogues, each representing a different era and style of Jewish life in Bohemia. The Spanish Synagogue is the youngest of these — built in 1868 — but it may be the most visually stunning building in the entire quarter.
Step inside, and the effect is immediate. Every surface — walls, ceilings, arches, pillars — is covered in elaborate geometric and floral patterns inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Gold, red, green, and blue arabesques swirl across the interior, creating an effect that is more reminiscent of a Moorish palace than a Central European house of worship.
The Site’s Ancient Origins
The Spanish Synagogue stands on one of the oldest Jewish prayer sites in Prague. The previous building on this location, known as the Altschul (Old School), dated to at least the twelfth century and served Prague’s earliest Jewish community. Some historians believe it may have been used by Sephardi Jews who migrated to Bohemia from the Iberian Peninsula, though this connection remains debated.
By the mid-nineteenth century, the Altschul had fallen into disrepair. The Reform-leaning congregation that used it decided to demolish the old building and construct a modern synagogue in its place.
Architecture and Design
Architects Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann and Josef Niklas designed the new synagogue in the Moorish Revival style that was fashionable for synagogues across Europe in the nineteenth century. This style drew on Islamic architectural traditions from medieval Spain, and Jewish communities adopted it partly as a way of distinguishing synagogues visually from churches.
The building’s exterior is relatively modest — a square structure with a central dome. But the interior is extraordinary. The Moorish patterns were designed by architects Antonín Baum and Bedřich Münzberger during renovations in the 1880s, and they transformed the synagogue into one of the most ornate Jewish interiors in Europe.
Musical Heritage
The Spanish Synagogue was home to one of Prague’s most progressive Jewish congregations. Services featured organ accompaniment — controversial in traditional Judaism but embraced by Reform-minded communities across Central Europe. The synagogue’s organ, installed in 1868, accompanied services and helped make the congregation a center of Jewish musical life in Prague.
Notably, the young František Škroup, who would later compose the Czech national anthem, served as organist at the earlier Altschul. This connection between Jewish and Czech musical traditions reflects the deep integration of Prague’s Jews into Bohemian cultural life.
Survival and Restoration
During World War II, the Nazis designated Prague’s Jewish Quarter as the site for a planned “Museum of an Extinct Race.” Ironically, this perverse plan saved the synagogues and their contents from destruction. The Spanish Synagogue survived the war intact, though the community that had worshipped there was devastated — most of Prague’s Jews perished in the Holocaust.
Under Communist rule after 1948, the synagogue fell into neglect. A major restoration was undertaken between 1995 and 1998, painstakingly restoring the Moorish decorative program to its original brilliance.
The Synagogue Today
Today the Spanish Synagogue operates as part of the Jewish Museum in Prague, one of the most visited Jewish heritage sites in Europe. Its permanent exhibition covers the history of Czech and Slovak Jews from emancipation in the nineteenth century through the Holocaust and into the present.
The synagogue is also celebrated as a concert venue. Its exceptional acoustics and breathtaking visual setting make it one of Prague’s most sought-after spaces for classical and chamber music performances.
A statue of Franz Kafka stands outside the synagogue — a fitting neighbor for a building that, like Kafka’s own work, embodies the complex, layered, sometimes surreal history of Jewish life in Prague.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the Spanish Synagogue?
The synagogue is named for its Moorish Revival architectural style, which draws on the Islamic-influenced designs of medieval Spain (Al-Andalus). The name does not indicate a connection to Spanish Jews specifically, though some historians suggest the site may have once been used by Sephardi Jews who settled in Prague.
Is the Spanish Synagogue still used for worship?
The Spanish Synagogue no longer holds regular religious services. It functions as a museum and concert venue under the administration of the Jewish Museum in Prague. It hosts exhibitions on modern Czech Jewish history and is renowned for its classical music concerts.
When was the Spanish Synagogue built?
The current building was constructed in 1868, designed by Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann and Josef Niklas. It replaced an older prayer house known as the Altschul (Old School), which had stood on the site since at least the twelfth century and was one of Prague's earliest Jewish houses of worship.