Prague Jewish Museum: 120 Years

Embark on a journey to discover one of the world’s most significant collections of Jewish cultural heritage. Prepared by the Jewish Museum in Prague in collaboration with the National Museum of the Czech Republic, the exhibition Prague Jewish Museum: 120 Years tells the remarkable story of an institution that evolved from a museum documenting the disappearing world of Prague's Jewish Town into a leading global centre for the preservation of Jewish culture. Throughout your visit, you will explore not only exceptional historical objects, but also the dramatic circumstances of their rescue and survival despite the tragic events and upheavals of the 20th century.

From 13 November 2026 to 31 May 2027, the National Museum's Historical Building offers you a unique opportunity to see rare artefacts that have never been displayed to the public before, or are emerging from storage after many decades. An extraordinary highlight awaiting you is the Třebíč Mahzor, a Hebrew manuscript more than 700 years old. Displayed in its original form for the very first time—and only during the first few weeks of the exhibition—this priceless object bears witness to the integral role Jewish culture has played in the history of the Czech lands since the Middle Ages.

You can also look forward to rare historical textiles from the 17th and 18th centuries, a selection of ceremonial synagogue silver, and personal artefacts documenting the lives of Jewish families in the Czech lands. Furthermore, you will see original furnishings from Prague synagogues demolished during the city's urban redevelopment, including a collection of items from the Zigeuner Synagogue, which Franz Kafka attended with his father Hermann and where he celebrated his bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen.

Guiding you symbolically through the entire narrative is the exhibition's central icon—a ship-shaped ritual spice container. Created by a master Viennese silversmith in the early 19th century, this exquisite vessel symbolises the museum itself as an ark, safeguarding precious evidence of Jewish life and presence in the heart of Europe.