Pinkas Synagogue: A Holocaust Memorial

The Pinkas Synagogue, located in Prague's Jewish Quarter, stands as a testament to both Jewish history and the horrors of the Holocaust. Founded in 1535 by Aaron Meshulam Horowitz, it initially served as a private place of worship for his family. Over the centuries, the synagogue underwent several expansions and renovations, reflecting the changing needs and circumstances of the Prague Jewish community. In the mid-20th century, the synagogue was transformed into a memorial to the nearly 80,000 Bohemian and Moravian Jews who were victims of the Shoah. Between 1954 and 1959, painters Jiří John and Václav Boštík inscribed the names of the victims on the synagogue's walls. The names are listed in alphabetical order by community, accompanied by their birth and last known dates. The memorial was initially opened to the public in 1960 but was closed in 1968 following the Soviet invasion. After the fall of communism, the names were painstakingly restored between 1992 and 1996. In addition to the memorial, the Pinkas Synagogue also houses an exhibition of children's drawings from the Terezín Ghetto. These drawings, created between 1942 and 1944 under the supervision of artist Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, offer a glimpse into the lives and experiences of children who were imprisoned in the ghetto during World War II. The synagogue also features a 15th-century mikveh (ritual bath), which was discovered during archaeological digs in 1968 and is now open to the public.