The Old Synagogue (; ) was a former

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

fortress synagogue A fortress synagogue is a synagogue built to withstand attack while protecting the lives of people sheltering within it. Fortress synagogues first appeared in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century at a time of frequent invasion ...

, located at 24 Szeroka Street, in the

Kazimierz Kazimierz (; ; ) is a historical district of Kraków and Kraków Old Town, Poland. From its inception in the 14th century to the early 19th century, Kazimierz was an independent city, a royal city of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, located sou ...

district of

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, in the

Lesser Poland Voivodeship Lesser Poland Voivodeship ( ) is a voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship in southern Poland. It has an area of , and a population of 3,404,863 (2019). Its capital and largest city is Kraków. The province's name recalls the traditional name of a h ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. Designed by Mateo Gucci, the Younger, in the

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

and

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

styles, estimates vary as to when the synagogue was completed, ranging from 1407 to 1570. It is the oldest synagogue building still standing in Poland, and one of the most precious landmarks of Jewish architecture in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The synagogue served as a house of prayer until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when it was desecrated by

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

in 1939. It was one of the city's most important synagogues as well as the main religious, social, and organizational centre of the Kraków Jewish community. Since 1958, the building has been repurposed as a branch of the

Historical Museum of Kraków The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków () in Kraków, Lesser Poland, was granted the status of an independent institution in 1945. Originally, it was a branch of the Old Records Office of Kraków, in operation from 1899. The museum holdings ...

History

The synagogue was built in 1407 or 1492; the date of building varies with several sources. The original building was rebuilt in 1570, by the Italian architect Mateo Gucci. The rebuilding included the attic wall with loopholes, windows placed far above ground level, and thick, masonry walls with heavy buttressing to withstand siege, all features borrowed from military architecture. There was further reconstruction work in 1904 and in 1913. The Old Synagogue is a rare, surviving example of a Polish

. In 1794 General

Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, and military leader who then became a national hero in Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and ...

spoke from the synagogue to gain the Jewish support in the

Kościuszko Uprising The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...

. A plaque in the entrance hall commemorates this event: The synagogue was completely devastated and ransacked by the

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

during World War II. Its artwork and Jewish relics, looted. During the occupation, the synagogue was used as a

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

. In 1943, 30 Polish hostages were executed at its wall.Sacred Destinations
Old Synagogue, Krakow
/ref>

Museum

The Old Synagogue was renovated from 1956 to 1959 and currently operates as a museum. It is a division of the

, with particular focus on Kraków's Jews. The exhibits are divided into themes dealing with birth, prayer rituals, diet, divorce and death. The women's prayer room (

Ezrat Nashim The Ezrat Nashim () or Vaybershul (), commonly referred to in English as the women's section or women's gallery, is an area of a synagogue sanctuary reserved exclusively for women. Scholars have long debated the existence of Ezrat Nashim in synago ...

), dating back to the 17th century, is often used to hold temporary exhibitions. It's director is Michał Niezabitowski; and the curator is Eugeniusz Duda.

Gallery

Παλιά Συναγωγή Κρακοβίας 7812.jpg, Entrance from the west and on the right the women's room Kazimierz_Alte_Schul_07799.jpg, Interior of the Old Synagogue before 1939 Old Synagogue, interior, 24 Szeroka Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland.jpg, Interior of the synagogue (2025) Old Synagogue, interior-women's room, 24 Szeroka Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland.jpg, Interior of the women's room Krakow_KazimierzWall_G24.jpg, Kazimierz defensive wall Old Synagogue, interior-Torah ark (Aron ha-Kodesh), 24 Szeroka Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland.jpg, Torah ark (Aron ha-Kodesh) Old Synagogue, interior-bema, 24 Szeroka Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland.jpg, Bema Old Synagogue, interior-alms box, 24 Szeroka Street, Kazimierz, Kraków, Poland.jpg, Alms box (1638)

References

External links

*
How to get there?

JewishKrakow.net
A guide to Kazimierz, Kraków's Jewish Quarter.
Old Synagogue

Holocaust Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Synagogue, Krakow 15th-century architecture in Poland 15th-century synagogues in Europe Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Poland Ashkenazi synagogues Former Orthodox synagogues in Poland Fortress synagogues Gothic architecture in Kraków Holocaust locations in Poland Mannerist architecture in Poland Museums in Kraków 15th-century synagogues Buildings and structures completed in 1492 Romanesque and Gothic synagogues Synagogues in Kraków Synagogues preserved as museums 20th-century attacks on Jewish institutions

History

Museum

Gallery

See also

References

External links