Prague Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum in Prague supports permanent and temporary exhibitions that document the history of Jews in individual regions of the Czech Republic, as well as the publication of works by Jewish authors and works on the history of Czech Jews. Established in 1906 with historians Dr. Hugo Lieben and Dr. Augustin Stein, the original focus of the museum was to preserve valuable artifacts of the Prague synagogues that were being demolished during the reconstruction of the Jewish Town at the beginning of the 20th century. Closed to the public after the Nazi occupation of Bohemia and Moravia in 1939, it was reopened in 1942 after the Nazis were convinced to set up a central museum for more selfish reasons. After World War II, the Jewish Museum came under the administration of the Council of Jewish Communities in Czechoslovakia. In 1950, ownership was transferred to the State, which, as of 1948, was in the hands of the communists. As a result, the Museum was markedly restricted in its preservation, exhibition and educational activities. The collapse of the communist regime in 1989 created the necessary conditions that led to the current status of the Museum Anyone with an interest in Jewish history and artifacts should definitely visit.