Front Synagogue in Třebíč

The Front Synagogue in Třebíč, also known as the Old Synagogue, stands on the western edge of the town's former Jewish quarter, right by the Jihlava River, on Tiché náměstí (Quiet Square). It is one of two surviving synagogues in the town and part of the ensemble inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List — the Třebíč Jewish Quarter together with the Basilica of St. Procopius and the Jewish cemetery.

When was the synagogue built?

The building went up between 1639 and 1642 in Baroque style, replacing an older wooden synagogue on the same spot. A fire later damaged the structure, and the 1856–1857 rebuilding gave it the neo-Gothic appearance it still has today. Inside, the layout followed the traditional division of synagogue interiors: 114 seats for men in the main hall and 80 seats for women in the gallery above.

What happened to the building after the Second World War?

The synagogue served Třebíč's Jewish community right up until the outbreak of the Second World War. During the German occupation it was converted into a storage facility. After the war the building fell into disrepair — almost none of the town's pre-war Jewish community survived the concentration camps to return, and the synagogue lost its original purpose for good. In 1952 the Czechoslovak Hussite Church bought the building and adapted it as its own congregation hall, consecrated as the Sbor Dr. Karla Farského, which opened in 1954. The last major reconstruction took place between 1994 and 1995.

What is the building used for today?

Today the former Front Synagogue hosts regular Sunday services of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, typically starting at 2 p.m. The building therefore remains an active place of worship, just no longer a Jewish one — one of the rare cases in Central Europe of a synagogue that kept its sacred function after the Holocaust simply by changing denomination.

Why is the Třebíč Jewish Quarter on the UNESCO list?

The Třebíč Jewish Quarter, together with the Basilica of St. Procopius and the Jewish cemetery, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003. It was the first stand-alone Jewish heritage site outside Israel to be recognized by UNESCO as having outstanding universal value — listed on its own merits, not as part of a wider urban ensemble. The decisive factor was how intact the former ghetto remained: its narrow lanes, houses, and religious buildings survived largely unchanged from before the war. The Front Synagogue, standing at the edge of that quarter, is one of the physical remnants of that history.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Front Synagogue located? On Tiché náměstí (Quiet Square) in Třebíč, at the western edge of the former Jewish quarter, next to the Jihlava River.

Why is it called the "Front" or "Old" synagogue? "Front" refers to its position at the edge of the Jewish quarter; "Old" reflects that it is one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Moravia.

When was the synagogue built? Between 1639 and 1642, on the site of an earlier wooden synagogue. Its current neo-Gothic look dates from a rebuilding in 1856–1857.

Is it still a synagogue? Not in terms of religious use — since 1952 the building has belonged to the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and functions as its congregation hall, with Sunday services held there.

Why is the Třebíč Jewish Quarter on the UNESCO World Heritage List? Because it survived in exceptionally good condition, and its 2003 inscription was the first time UNESCO recognized a Jewish heritage site outside Israel as a stand-alone World Heritage property.

Can visitors see the interior? Yes, during services, or by arranging a visit in advance with the local Czechoslovak Hussite Church congregation.