The puzzle shows two Jewish landmarks - on the left side is the Old New Synagogue (
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The Old New Synagogue in Prague dates back to the 13th century and is the oldest synagogue in the Czech Republic. It is also the oldest surviving synagogue in Europe.
The Jewish Town Hall is a late Baroque building from 1763, which was rebuilt from the original town hall of Mordechai Maisel from the 16th century. The building was extended in 1908 by the builder Matej Blecha. Today it is the seat of the Council of Jewish Religious Communities. On the roof there is a clock tower with a clock face with Hebrew numbers and the hands moving in reverse.
The note about photo
I think that a proper perspective shot from the sidewalk level cannot be achieved. The horizontal gable line of the Old New Synagogue shows that I should be about 3-4 metres above ground level. The puzzle picture was probably taken from a window on the upper floor of the surrounding houses.
"The Jewish Quarter (Josefov (
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The torrid history of the former Jewish Ghetto began in the 13th century, when Jewish people were ordered to vacate their disparate homes and settle in this one area.
Over the centuries, with Jews banned from living anywhere else in Prague, and with new arrivals expelled from Moravia, Germany, Austria and Spain joining them, ever more people crowded in to the quarter.
To add to this, inhabitants of the ghetto were forced to endure structural changes at the whim of the emperor or whichever ruler exercised control over them. The latest occurred in 1893-1913, when a number of buildings were flattened and the layout of the streets was remodelled.
Fortunately, most significant historical buildings were saved from destruction, and they remain a testimony to the history of the Jews in Prague. They form the best preserved complex of historical Jewish monuments in the whole of Europe.
The Jewish Quarter has: six synagogues, including the Spanish Synagogue, Maisel Synagogue and the Old-New Synagogue; the Jewish Ceremonial Hall; and the most remarkable, the Old Jewish Cemetery.
Jewish Town Hall
Jewish Town Hall in Prague was first mentioned in 1541, but it had probably been standing in the heart of Josefov since earlier. The first town hall was most likely Gothic and was not rebuilt until 1564 when the Renaissance reconstruction started. The next step in the architectural development of this building is also difficult to determine: it was either when the High Synagogue was started to be built in 1568, or when the Jewish elders bought the empty land after the fire in 1577.
In 1689 the Jewish Town Hall was damaged in the French Fire, and once again in 1754 ghetto fire. After that, the town hall was reconstructed in the late Baroque style by the architect Josef Schlesinger, who also added the new clock to the bell tower of the town hall. 18th century was the time of major renovation work in the Jewish Ghetto that also received a new treasury, hospital, the house of the main rabbi, fountain, and a gate.
Fun Fact about Jewish Town Hall
The Town Hall is famous for its unique clock that goes counterclockwise! It is called Hebrew Clock and also displays the letters of the Hebrew alphabet instead of the regular numerals, as well as the hands of the clock that are switched around - the short one shows minutes while the long one points at hours."
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