Synagogue in Třešť

The Synagogue in Třešť is a former Jewish house of worship standing at the heart of this small town in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, one of the few remaining physical traces of a community that shaped local life for centuries.

Where is the synagogue located?

The building stands on today's Svobody Square, on the site of what was, from the mid-17th century onward, the town's Jewish quarter. The synagogue occupied the very center of that district, which was enclosed by a wall with three gates separating the ghetto from the rest of the town.

What was the Jewish quarter of Třešť like?

The ghetto took shape in the mid-17th century and eventually grew to 77 houses, some of which still stand today despite repeated fires that damaged the district over the years. It was far more than a residential area: the community ran an elementary school as well as a yeshiva, a higher-level institution for religious study, and supported its own charitable foundations and associations.

When was the synagogue built, and how has it changed over time?

The first synagogue building went up around 1672. Its original Baroque appearance is lost to history, since a severe fire on 2 October 1824 badly damaged the structure. Reconstruction followed in 1825, giving the building the Empire-style form it retains today. One architectural detail sets it apart from every other synagogue in the country: an arcaded gallery along its front, a feature found nowhere else among Czech synagogues.

What happened to the Jewish community during the war?

On 14 May 1942, 120 residents of Třešť of Jewish origin, along with people who had been forcibly resettled there, were deported to a collection camp in Třebíč. Just four days later they were transported onward to Terezín, from where further transports led to concentration camps. In total, 181 men, women, and children connected to Třešť did not survive the war — a loss that effectively marked the end of the local Jewish community.

What can visitors see inside the synagogue today?

The former synagogue now houses a permanent exhibition called "Zaváté stopy" ("Drifted Traces"), dedicated to the history of the local Jewish community — its origins, everyday life within the ghetto, and its tragic end during the Holocaust. Beyond the exhibition, the building also functions as an art gallery and concert hall, linking historical memory with the town's ongoing cultural life.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors enter the synagogue in Třešť? The building operates as a gallery and concert venue and houses a permanent exhibition on the history of the local Jewish community, so it is accessible as part of the site's cultural programming.

What does the exhibition "Zaváté stopy" cover? It traces the history of the Jewish community in Třešť, from the founding of the ghetto in the 17th century through daily life there to the fate of its residents during the Second World War.

What makes this synagogue unique among Czech synagogues? It is the only synagogue in the Czech Republic with an arcaded gallery, an architectural feature that gives it a distinctive look found nowhere else in the country.

How many people from Třešť died in the Holocaust? A total of 181 men, women, and children connected to the local Jewish community died after being deported in May 1942 via Třebíč and Terezín to concentration camps.

When was the current synagogue building constructed? The current Empire-style building dates to 1825, when the town rebuilt the synagogue after a fire in 1824 destroyed the earlier Baroque structure from around 1672.