Old Synagogue (Alte Schul)

Kraków’s oldest synagogue was most probably built soon after the enforced exodus of Kraków Jews to Kazimierz following the decree of King John Albert (Jan Olbracht) of 1495. The first brick and stone building attached to the eastern side of the defence wall burned down in 1557. Thanks to a permit from King Sigismund Augustus (Zygmunt August), the Community was soon able to rebuild their House of Assembly. The construction work was entrusted to Matteo Gucci from Florence. After the construction was completed in 1570, the cantors’ room was appended on the southern side, and the women’s hall – on the northern. The building retained its Gothic character, and was enriched with Renaissance elements including a high parapet wall, windows with semicircular tops, and Tuscan columns in the interior. In the course of the following centuries, the synagogue was repeatedly ravaged by fires and war. Even though it was renovated after each such misfortune, it slowly yielded to decay. It underwent a major overhaul in 1888, which included the reconstruction of the roofs, and again in 1904-1913. The year 1923 brought about lowering of the ground around the synagogue to the level of the 15th century, and introduced a small synagogue museum in the refurbished rooms of the front porch.

After the damage inflicted by the Nazis during the second world war, when even the Gothic vaulting and Renaissance columns were destroyed, a major overhaul was carried out in 1956-1959 to return to the synagogue an element of its former splendour. At the time, the Jewish Religious Congregation entrusted the historical site to the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków to open a permanent exhibition on the History and Culture of Kraków Jews. The Old Synagogue plays this role to this day.

The two-aisle, three-bay men’s room was covered with a partially reconstructed cross-ribbed vaulting supported on reconstructed Tuscan columns. The original, 16th-century stone Aaron Hakodesh – (Holy Ark enclosing the Torah Scrolls) with a richly decorated mannerist crown has been preserved. The barrel vaulting with stucco decoration in the women’s hall is worthy of note.

Over the centuries, the Old Synagogue, the main house of prayer of Kazimierz Jews, was the stage for events of momentous importance in the history of Poland. It was here that Tadeusz Kościuszko called upon Jews to participate in the Uprising he led in 1794, and that Rabbi Ber Meisels rallied support for the independence movement of the Spring of the Nations in 1848. It was also here that the President of the independent Republic of Poland, Ignacy Mościcki, was welcomed during his visit to Kraków in 1927 (the photographs from the ceremony are on exhibition in the Old Synagogue).

Practical informationa bout visiting the synagogue available in the Museums section.