Old Synagogue in Kraków

The Old Synagogue in Kraków (Stara Synagoga) is the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland and one of the most valuable examples of Jewish sacred architecture in Europe. It stands on Szeroka Street in the heart of the former town of Kazimierz and today houses a branch of the Museum of Kraków devoted to the history and culture of the city's Jews.

How did the Old Synagogue come to be?

The building's origins reach back to the 15th century. Its exact founding date is still debated, as sources give different years, from the start of the century to its close. What is certain is that in 1495 King John I Albert designated Kazimierz as a new district for the Jewish community, and a cluster of synagogues grew up around Szeroka Street. The Old Synagogue became its main house of prayer and a centre of religious and communal life.

Fire, rebuilding and the Renaissance attic

In 1557 a fire destroyed the original Gothic building. The Florentine architect Matteo Gucci was entrusted with the reconstruction and gave the synagogue its new form. The result was a two-nave prayer hall crowned with a tall Renaissance attic decorated with blind arcading. Thick walls, buttresses and high windows are a reminder that such a solid structure could also shelter people in times of danger. The work was completed in 1570. Women's sections and the former singers' room adjoin the main hall. The outcome is a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles, regarded as a rare example of a synagogue with fortress-like features.

War and restoration

For centuries the synagogue stood at the centre of Jewish life in Kraków. During the Second World War the German occupiers looted the building and turned it into a warehouse, and its furnishings were destroyed. After the war a renovation carried out between 1956 and 1959 restored much of its former appearance. A museum has operated here since 1958.

What will you see inside?

The historic interiors host the exhibition "History and Culture of Kraków's Jews". It presents the most valuable pieces from the museum's Judaica collection: liturgical objects, vessels and keepsakes linked to the traditions and everyday life of the former community. The prayer hall itself, with its vaulting and the architecture of its naves, is impressive even if you are not interested in the finer points of the display. Against the east wall stands a late Renaissance stone aron ha-kodesh, the ark for the Torah scrolls. By the north-eastern corner of the building, a section of the medieval town wall that the synagogue once adjoined has been reconstructed.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Old Synagogue? In Kazimierz, on Szeroka Street, close to other monuments of the former Jewish quarter.

Is it still a working synagogue? No. Today the building is a museum, a branch of the Museum of Kraków.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The Remuh Synagogue with its historic cemetery, the Tempel Synagogue, and the other sites of Kazimierz, which has kept the distinctive atmosphere of the old district.

Why does this monument matter so much? As the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland, it helps you understand religious and everyday life among Kraków's Jews from the late Middle Ages into the modern era.