New Synagogue in Milevsko

The New Synagogue in Milevsko is one of the more surprising sacred buildings in South Bohemia, a structure that fuses classical grandeur with the bold geometry of Czech Cubism. Standing on Sokolská street in the town of Milevsko, it draws travelers curious about the region's lesser-known Jewish heritage.

When was the synagogue built and who designed it?

Construction took place between 1914 and 1919, during the First World War, replacing an older and smaller synagogue that could no longer serve the town's growing Jewish community. The design came from architects František Střílka and Oldřich Tyl, the latter recognized as one of the leading figures of Czech Cubist architecture. Their collaboration produced a building where the columned facade and grand staircase echo a pseudo-Empire style, while the geometric division of the pediment above the entrance reveals a distinctly Cubist hand. This unusual pairing is why visitors sometimes liken the building to an ancient temple, even though its details are firmly rooted in early 20th-century architectural experimentation.

What can you actually see when you visit?

Four load-bearing columns support the facade, and a double staircase rises toward a balcony set above the main entrance. Inside, the original eastern wall survives with its niche for the Torah scrolls (the Aron ha-Kodesh), decorated with symbols of the Ten Commandments, alongside a women's gallery carried on stone columns — a layout typical of traditional Ashkenazi synagogue design. The contrast between the austere, almost classical exterior and the more intimate, carefully finished interior is what tends to stay with visitors longest.

What happened to the building after 1939?

Religious services continued here until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the German occupation, the space was repurposed as a storage facility for powdered milk and packaging materials, a fate shared by many abandoned synagogues of the era. The war effectively destroyed the local Jewish community, which never recovered its prewar size. Since 1950, the building has served as a chapel of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, a use that likely saved it from demolition and allowed much of its original structure and interior details to survive intact. In 1997, two memorial plaques were installed on the facade, bearing roughly ninety names of Holocaust victims from Milevsko and the surrounding area.

How do you get there and when is the best time to visit?

The synagogue sits in the central part of Milevsko, a town in the Písek district of the South Bohemian Region, easily reached by car or by train and bus connections from Písek or Tábor followed by a short walk. Because the building now functions as an active chapel, access to the interior can be limited to service times or prearranged visits, but the exterior and its striking silhouette can be admired year-round. Pairing the visit with a stop at Milevsko's nearby Premonstratensian monastery makes for an efficient way to see two very different chapters of the town's religious history in a single trip.

Frequently asked questions

Is the New Synagogue in Milevsko still used for Jewish worship? No — since 1950 the building has functioned as a chapel of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and is no longer used by a Jewish congregation.

What does "Cubist synagogue" mean in this context? It refers to the geometric, avant-garde treatment of the facade and pediment, designed by Oldřich Tyl, one of the key architects of the Czech Cubist movement.

Can visitors go inside the building? Interior access can be limited since the building is an active chapel, so it's worth checking local opening or service times before visiting.

What traces of Jewish history remain at the site today? Two memorial plaques from 1997 are mounted on the facade, listing the names of Holocaust victims from Milevsko and the surrounding region.