Pogroms in the Jewish Quarter, the Prague Ghetto

From the Middle Ages, Jews did not live scattered throughout Prague but within the Jewish ghetto, now known as Josefov. The residents faced frequent anti-Jewish sentiments, which escalated into pogroms in 1389. During the Easter Pogrom, more than four hundred Jews were murdered, and their homes were set ablaze. The aim of these pogroms was to intimidate and expel the Jewish population.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, various other pogroms took place. Under Ferdinand I, an attempt was made in 1541 to expel the Jewish community from the country. As a result, the majority of the Jewish population emigrated within two years. The Jews who remained were required to wear a visible sign, and their privileges were revoked.

A Period of Prosperity in the Ghetto – Mordechai Meisl

After years of existential uncertainty, the ghetto entered a period of prosperity and growth. During the reign of Rudolf II, who restored privileges to the Jews in 1577, the ghetto expanded. Existing houses were renovated, and new homes were built.

The name most associated with this construction activity is Mordechai Meisl (1528-1601, philanthropist, court banker, and court Jew). In 1564, he founded a Talmudic school, a synagogue (the Klaus Synagogue), and a hospital with a spa next to the Jewish cemetery. In 1568, he financed the construction of the Jewish Town Hall and Vysoká, the High Synagogue. In 1591, he obtained the privilege to build his private synagogue, the present-day Maisel Synagogue. He also purchased land to extend the cemetery and paid for the construction of the streets in the ghetto.

A well-known figure from the Rudolfine period is Judah Loew ben Bezalel, better known as Rabbi Loew. According to legend, he created the Golem of Prague, a living being made from clay.

Numerus Clausus, Fire, and the Dissolution of the Ghetto

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were periods when Jews were not allowed to settle outside the Josefov ghetto. A numerus clausus limited the maximum number of Jewish families in the country. In 1744, all Jews were expelled from Prague, but they were allowed to return in 1748. Since most Jews were merchants, their departure caused an economic crisis. To overcome this, the Jews were once again welcomed and sorely needed.

Fires (often arson) repeatedly destroyed parts or even all of the ghetto, only for it to be rebuilt quickly afterwards.

During the reign of Emperor Joseph II, a fundamental change occurred. The Jewish population was granted equal rights, allowing them to settle outside the ghetto. Wealthier Jewish families gradually moved to other parts of the city, while poorer Jews remained, and non-Jewish poor began moving into the area.

The ghetto was officially dissolved in 1848, renamed Josefov in 1850, and incorporated into Prague. By 1880, the official statistics showed that only one-third of the original Jewish population remained in Josefov.

1880-1890 Demolition of the Jewish Quarter

By the last quarter of the 19th century, Josefov had become overcrowded and deteriorated. Its proximity to the Vltava River and its low elevation meant the Jewish Quarter frequently flooded. Damp cellars in poorly maintained buildings, combined with unhygienic living conditions, led to above-average rates of morbidity and mortality.

This untenable situation required a solution. Following the example of other European cities, the Prague municipality opted for the most radical approach in the 1880s: sanitation through the demolition of nearly all the old buildings. The following landmarks, however, were spared from demolition.