Explore Prague’s Jewish history from the Enlightenment era to the Nazi occupation. Discover the community’s contributions to industry, art, literature, and civil service, and learn about Prague German literature’s unique development.
- Old Jewish Cemetery - One of the oldest surviving Jewish cemeteries in Europe, a unique heritage site that remained miraculously untouched by Hitler, along with 2 synagogues and the Chevra Kadisha.
- The Old-New Synagogue - The Old-New Synagogue is one of the oldest and largest Jewish communities in Europe. Josefov served as the Prague ghetto for a long time and was also the starting point of 19th-century Jewish emancipation.
- Spanish Synagogue, Jewish Museum in Prague - The Spanish Synagogue also serves as the headquarters of the Jewish Museum. Numerous documents clearly illustrate the process of Jewish emancipation and the rise of the Jewish bourgeoisie.
- Staromestske namesti - The Old Town Square, the city center, was also home to the Kafkas, the Berta Fanta salon, which was important for the development of Prague Zionism, and generally the center of Prague’s largely German-acculturated Jewish community.
- Vinohrady - This Prague district became one of the centers of Prague’s bourgeoisie after the demolition of the old Jewish Quarter in the Old Town. Numerous stumbling blocks commemorate the often well-known personalities who lived here until 1938.
- New Jewish Cemetery - The New Jewish Cemetery in Prague is like a history book. The numerous tombs tell the story of Prague’s Jewish elite, including writers, industrialists, and artists of the late 19th century.
- Café Louvre - The café was also the meeting place for the Prague Academy discussion group. Franz Kafka and Max Brod attended, and nearby was the Reading and Speech Hall of German Students, an institution largely shaped by Prague Jewish intellectualism.
- Bottled water included
- Dinner
This journey highlights the progression of Prague’s renowned Jewish community, beginning from the Enlightenment period in the late 18th century. We traverse their notable involvement in the realm of industry, art, literature and even the civil service, culminating in their significant contribution to Bohemia’s emergence as an industrial powerhouse. The formation of Zionism in Prague amidst rising anti-Semitism towards the late 19th century and its aftermath post the 1938 Nazi invasion of Germany is also explored in depth. A focal point of the tour is the remarkable niche of Prague German literature, a distinct literary segment born in a linguistic enclave that gave rise to globally recognized authors in the dawn of the 20th century, most of whom are largely overlooked in contemporary times. Notable exceptions include eminent personalities such as Kafka, Werfel, Kisch or Brod.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
