GREAT SYNAGOGUE (VELKÁ SYNAGOGA)

At 45 meters high, it is the largest synagogue in the country, the second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world! The basic plan was rejected, because with its twin 65-meter high towers, which made it visible from a large part of the city, it was feared that they would "overshadow" the tower of St. Bartholomew's Cathedral. The foundation stone laid in 1888 was therefore left alone for some time, while the new architect designed a new plan mixing Oriental, Moorish, Hindu and Russian Orthodox styles. Above all, towers reduced by 20 m explain the current size of the synagogue. In the end, the visitor is a little confused and does not know what to expect, because the facade evokes, apart from the symbolism linked to the Jewish cult, Bohemian or Russian Orthodox churches. The surprise continues in the interior, where Hindu influences are very clearly expressed with the sculptures of the holy ark.

During the war, the synagogue served as a military depot for the Nazis, before returning to worship with the return of the few survivors of the camps. Due to lack of funds, it was closed and abandoned in 1973 and its condition deteriorated for a quarter of a century before undergoing a first restoration at the end of the 20th century. This second restoration between 2018 and 2022 gave it back all its former glory. Far too large for the few members of the Jewish community of Plzeň, it is called to host concerts and exhibitions.