Nová synagoga Site of events

Welcome to Prague, part Libeň. Right now, you're facing one of the very important and fascinating structures in this area. In front of you is the new liberal synagogue. Stop for a moment, take a breath, and just feel the presence of her in the middle of today's traffic at Palmovka. It is a place where the everyday rush of a modern city is met with a silent testimony of history that goes deep into the past. Look at the building ahead. Feel its shapes and the overall atmosphere it radiates. It's a building that carries traces of generations, hopes and tragedies.

To understand why this synagogue is standing right here, we have to go back much longer than one century. In the eighteenth century, a Jewish ghetto was established in Libni, a closed neighborhood where the Jewish community lived. However, when it came time to build a new, representative temple, it was decided not to be placed inside the original ghetto. It may interest you, but the reason was not politics or lack of space, but nature. The Vltava, which runs a short distance from here, was unpredictable at the time, and the risk of devastating floods was too high. That's why the synagogue was placed outside the ghetto border, in a safer place where the water didn't endanger it.

The construction itself was a long and patient process. They started it in 1846, but the ceremonial consecration of the building took place in 1858. Imagine this building was built for 12 years. At the time, it was not only a matter of finance, but also precision and search for the right expression. Although the names of architects have remained forgotten in time and are now unknown, their work is ahead of us.

Now please pay attention to the architecture itself. Look at the facade and see the building line. What you see is a typical example of romantic historism, which was very popular in the middle of the nineteenth century. At that time, architects returned to the magnificent styles of the past to express dignity and perseverance. This synagogue combines Roman ancient style with elements of New Romanesque style. Notice the robust shapes and harmony that radiates from the building. It's a combination of ancient elegance and medieval power.

If you could look inside now, you would see a space that is designed with a deep spiritual sense. The interior consists of three-boat basilica with empores, which are such elevated galleries. The entire space is oriented towards Jerusalem, which is the basic building principle for synagogues, which connects the local community with the spiritual center of their faith.

But this building is not just about stones and style. It's primarily the place of human stories. In her walls, the people who shaped their times left their mark. These included, for example, Dr. Isaac Kämpf, Vojtěch Rakous or František R. Kraus. Names that may not be known to everyone today, but which were crucial to the liberal Jewish community.

But the history of this synagogue is also very painful. When 1939 came and World War II started, the building was violently closed. She stopped being the place of prayer and became a stock of confiscated property. Imagine the contrast. The place that was meant to serve spiritual upbringing turned into a place where the things of the people whose property and their lives were stolen were stored. It's a silent but frozen testimony of the cruelty of that time.

But history doesn't end in tragedy. After the war and in the decades to come, the synagogue began to live again, albeit in a different way. In the 1960s, between 1960 and 1969, she became the unexpected center of intellectual life. There were literary and philosophical debates in her premises. It was a meeting place for thinkers to find answers to the questions of existence and meaning. It is this period and this location that are associated with names such as Arnošt Lustig, who witnessed the Holocaust and a major writer, or Helga Hošková-Weissová. Even Bohumil Hrabal, one of our greatest writers, had a relationship with this place and its surroundings. The synagogue has thus become a bridge between religious tradition and modern intellectual search.

The late '80s brought another break. In 1989, the building was cleaned out, repaired and its new cultural use started, which still lasts until today. It's a fascinating journey from a religious temple to a magnifying glass warehouse to a space for culture and thought.

You might think of one interesting thing that stands out from the whole story. Think about the 12-year construction period. In 1846, when the first shovel dropped, the world was completely different. When the synagogue was consecrated in 1858, the company was already in a different movement. This construction thus carries the dynamics of a whole period. And remember her location again. You are standing here in Palmovka, in the heart of modern transport, but this building is here precisely because Vltava was once perceived as a threat. It's a reminder of how much one must respect the forces of nature.

Now that you know the story of the new liberal synagogue, I suggest you observe it quietly again. Look at her facade, perceive her stability, and think of all the people who went through them. From the believers in the nineteenth century, to the suffering in the times of war, to the debating philosophers in the 1960s. This building is like an open book that tells about survival, memory and the ability to start over.

I wish you to take a sense of respect for the history and inspiration of the courage of the people who worked here. Now invited to further explore the surroundings of Libna, where there are many other hidden corners and stories waiting for you. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant continued journey.