Synagogue in Golčův Jeníkov

The Synagogue in Golčův Jeníkov is one of the best-preserved Jewish monuments in the Vysočina region, still standing at the heart of the town's former Jewish quarter in the eastern part of Bohemia.

How to get there?

Golčův Jeníkov sits in the Havlíčkův Brod district, a short drive east of Čáslav, along the route connecting Kutná Hora with Havlíčkův Brod. The town is easiest to reach by car or train, with a railway station close to the center. The synagogue stands within the boundaries of the former Jewish quarter, surrounded by houses once inhabited by the local community, making it an easy walk from the main square.

What will you see?

Jews began settling in Golčův Jeníkov as early as the late 16th century, with the first written record of the community dating to 1654. Documents confirm a synagogue already stood on this site in 1659, originally a wooden structure that was later destroyed by fire. The current brick building was constructed between 1871 and 1873 in a Romanesque Revival style with Oriental, Moorish-inspired ornamentation, and it was ceremonially opened on September 16, 1873, on the eve of Yom Kippur according to the Jewish calendar. The building's decorative style has often been compared to Prague's Spanish Synagogue of 1868, sharing a similarly ornate exterior and interior character.

The synagogue served the local Jewish community until 1942, when the Jews of Golčův Jeníkov were deported during the Holocaust. Between 1942 and 1965, the building was used for worship by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. It later came under the care of the State Jewish Museum in Prague, which established a depository there and funded its restoration — a thorough renovation carried out in the 1990s preserved the building's historical appearance to this day.

Visitors can admire the synagogue's distinctive exterior and walk through the former Jewish quarter, where houses from the era of the community's prosperity still stand. It's a rare opportunity to see, in person, the scale and architectural richness of Jewish religious life in a small Czech town before the Holocaust.

When to visit?

Spring and summer are the best times to visit, when longer daylight hours make it easy to explore both the synagogue and the surrounding former Jewish quarter on foot. It's worth checking opening hours and interior access in advance, as the building now serves a museum function and may only be open to visitors on a limited schedule set by the institution that manages it.

Frequently asked questions

When was the current synagogue in Golčův Jeníkov built? The present brick building was constructed between 1871 and 1873 in Romanesque Revival style with Oriental elements, replacing an earlier wooden synagogue first recorded in 1659.

Until when did the synagogue serve its religious function? It served the local Jewish community until 1942, when the town's Jews were deported during the Holocaust.

Who takes care of the building today? Since the second half of the 20th century, the synagogue has been in the care of the State Jewish Museum in Prague, which carried out a thorough restoration in the 1990s.

What is the synagogue's architecture compared to? Its ornate, Oriental-influenced style is often compared to Prague's Spanish Synagogue, built in 1868.