Synagogue in Jičín

The Synagogue in Jičín stands as one of the few surviving witnesses to centuries of Jewish presence in this Czech town, located on what was once the Jewish street, today known as Židovská. Modest in appearance, the building holds within its walls the story of a community that rose and fell alongside the fortunes of Jičín itself.

How old is this site?

Jewish settlement in the northeastern Bohemia region is documented as far back as the second half of the 14th century, though the synagogue in its present location dates from the late 18th century. The earliest documented record of the building comes from May 1773, when a Star of David was placed on the synagogue's roof — a symbolic moment confirming the temple's existence at this site.

Who was connected to the Jičín Jewish community?

During the era of Albrecht of Wallenstein, the great lord of Jičín, the town was home to Jakob Baševi of Treuenburg, a banker and court Jew to the Habsburg emperors and one of the most influential figures in Jewish finance of his time. Although Baševi himself was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Mladá Boleslav, his activity in Jičín reflects the standing the local Jewish community already held in the first half of the 17th century.

How did the building's appearance change over time?

The synagogue was originally Baroque in style, but in its current form it presents as a modest Classicist structure with a rectangular floor plan and a gabled roof. A turning point came with the great town fire of 1840, after which the synagogue was rebuilt — gaining a direct staircase to the women's gallery, an Empire-style arcaded portico at the men's entrance, and new Classicizing interior decoration.

What happened to the synagogue during World War II?

Regular services continued at the synagogue right up until the outbreak of World War II. The tragic culmination of the Jičín Jewish community's history came in January 1943, when nearly a hundred Jews from the town were deported to Theresienstadt, from where most were sent that same year to the Auschwitz concentration camp and murdered. This deportation effectively ended centuries of Jewish presence in the town.

What happened to the building after the war?

In the 1960s the synagogue passed into state ownership through a forced sale. Over the following decades, in the 1970s and 1980s, the building served as a storage facility for medicinal herbs belonging to the state pharmaceutical company Léčiva — a fate far removed from its original purpose, though not an uncommon one for synagogues in postwar Czechoslovakia.

What does the synagogue look like today?

The building underwent a complete reconstruction between 2002 and 2008 and was ceremonially reopened to the public in June 2008. Today the Jičín synagogue stands as an important site on the map of Czech Jewish heritage, recalling a community that shaped the town's history for centuries before the Holocaust brought its existence to an end.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the synagogue in Jičín located? The building stands in Jičín, Czech Republic, on what was once the town's Jewish street.

In what style was the synagogue built? It was originally Baroque, and after reconstruction following the 1840 fire it took on the form of a modest Classicist building with an Empire-style portico.

Can the synagogue be visited today? Yes, following a complete reconstruction between 2002 and 2008, the building was reopened to visitors in 2008.

What happened to the Jičín Jewish community during the war? In January 1943, nearly a hundred Jews from Jičín were deported to Theresienstadt, and most were murdered at Auschwitz that same year.