Pilsen - the Birthplace of Pilsner Beers
The Great Synagogue and more
On that trip in 2020, another friend and I rented a car when we arrived at the Pilsen train station and immediately headed directly to our accommodation just outside/west of the city and closer to our various Santini destinations. We had thought we might drive to Pilsen one day during our holiday and perhaps tour the Loos Interiors, and on the way to our pension we passed the Great Synangogue and commented that we would like to see it, too. So a day trip to Pilsen was on our wish list, but in the end Santini took up all of our time (and was well worth it!).
And thanks to financial and other support from the Czech government, the EU and UNESCO, the towns have been spiffed up as well, with lots of tourist info and tours, etc., usually available. A little bit of research and asking around before the trip led us to all of the Jewish sites (in addition to the Great Synagogue), tours of the Loos Interiors, St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral and a great lunch. Stumbling into a hotel to buy a tram ticket to get back to the train station at the end of the day led us to a very retro interior and a rooftop bar where we sipped delicious coffee while taking in stunning views of St. Bartholomew’s spire (the tallest in the Czech Republic at 336 feet), the synagogue towers with the sun setting on their pink façades in the other direction, and the old part of the city. The weather was perfect, too, so, in short, it was a perfect day trip.
Pilsen’s Jewish Heritage
Built between 1891 and 1893 in the Moorish-Romanesque style, it is the third-largest synagogue in Europe (the fifth-largest in the world). Over the years, Pilsen has been home to five synagogues serving a Jewish population that has been in the city since the 14th century, but now only the Great and Old Synagogues remain. And tragically, very few Jews live in Pilsen currently – almost the entire population of Pilsen’s Jewish community was wiped out during the Holocaust: Of the 2,605 Pilsen Jews transported to the Terezin concentration camp north of Prague, only 204 survived.
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Learn more about Jewish history in the Czech Republic and Prague in my self-guided walk to Prague's Jewish Quarter.
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The Old Synagogue
A complete reconstruction of the Old Synagogue took place from 2010 to 2014, and now it is part of a complex of Jewish sites, including a sukkah and the Auxiliary Synagogue. The Auxiliary Synagogue was built in 1875 and was used as a Jewish school until 1892.
A Surprise Awaits…
Next we moved on to our tour of the Loos Interiors….
“The apartments by Loos were quite modern and before their time. It’s safe to say that Loos was a step ahead of the rest with is designs. Typical qualities of his work include the use of high-quality, natural materials and a heavy emphasis on thoroughly thought-out functions and well organized interior spaces. Proof of these qualities can be seen in the precisely furnished, built-in cupboards or other atypical features, which were meant to ease the lives of the apartments’ inhabitants.”
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral
Rooftop Views
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