You’ll spot the Great Synagogue by looking for its two grand red-and-white towers topped with giant onion domes and shining gold Stars of David, standing proudly against the sky right in front of you.
Picture it: you’re standing before the second largest synagogue in Europe, and the third largest in the entire world-hard to believe it all began with a case of “tower envy!” Back in 1888, architect Max Fleischer dreamed up an extravagant Gothic masterpiece with twin 65-meter towers that nearly soared as high as cathedral spires. But city leaders, not wanting their sacred skyline upstaged, said “not so fast!” Enter Emmanuel Klotz in 1890. He kept the grand footprint but snipped the towers down by 20 meters, gave it a swirl of new styles, and added marvelous Oriental decorations. Now, look up at those towers-they blend a mishmash of influences, with onion-shaped domes like a Russian Orthodox church and a bold Star of David etched front and center. There’s also a Torah ark that hints at designs from India, and an interior that glimmers with Arabic flair.
When doors first opened in 1893, over 2,000 members of Plzeň’s Jewish community gathered here, filling its vast halls with life. Through times of trouble, the building became a silent witness; during World War II, it was used as a storage space, which ironically saved it from destruction. After decades of neglect under communism, the synagogue was revived, sparkled up, and once again rang out with song and ceremony. These days, the echoes of concerts and exhibitions fill the vast hall, while a small congregation still gathers to pray in the former winter prayer room. Only about 200 members of Plzeň’s Jewish community remain, but this beautiful giant still stands, a testament to endurance, blending the quirky with the grand-and no city hall can say otherwise!
