Old Synagogue: Poland's oldest preserved synagogue

Zaplanuj wizytę Heritage Journeys

The Old Synagogue at Szeroka 24 is the oldest preserved synagogue in Poland and one of the most significant Jewish buildings in Central Europe. The first references to a house of worship on this site date to the fifteenth century; tradition connects the foundation with a privilege granted by King Casimir the Great, though historical sources point to construction in the first half of the fifteenth century. For a hundred years the synagogue served as the religious and administrative centre of the Jewish community of Kazimierz — a separate town until 1800, when it was incorporated into Kraków.

In 1557 a fire swept through Kazimierz and caused severe damage to the synagogue. Reconstruction was entrusted to Matteo Gucci — an Italian architect working at the royal court in Kraków — who gave the building a Renaissance form with Mannerist elements. Gucci designed the stone entrance portal with a moulded cornice and the emblem of the Jewish community, the ribbed vaults of the main hall supported on two piers, and the Aron HaKodesh on the eastern wall with decoration characteristic of Kraków Renaissance. The bimah — the raised platform for reading the Torah — stands on the central axis, enclosed by an ornate wrought-iron grille. This arrangement of a central-axis bimah became a model for many Polish synagogues of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Old Synagogue witnessed important events in the history of Kraków's Jews. Community decisions of consequence were announced here, royal envoys were received, and the ceremony of excommunication — herem — was conducted at the bimah. The community gathered here in 1794 when Tadeusz Kościuszko called for insurrection. Under the partitions the synagogue continued to serve as the community's spiritual centre, though the progressive synagogues opening in the nineteenth century drew part of the congregation.

The Germans closed the synagogue in 1939 and used it as a warehouse. After the war the building required extensive conservation work. In 1959 a branch of the Historical Museum of Kraków was opened here, with the first permanent exhibition in Poland dedicated to the history and culture of Polish Jews. The collection includes manuscripts, liturgical silverware (menorot, rimmonim, tas plaques), community documents and photographs of pre-war Kazimierz. The bimah and the Aron HaKodesh remain in situ — they are original elements of the interior, not reconstructions.

The Old Synagogue is a double-aisled synagogue with a bimah on the central axis, realised in the style of Kraków late-Renaissance Mannerism. The facade on Szeroka Street is relatively restrained — limestone ashlar, moulded window surrounds, and a stone entrance portal with the sixteenth-century emblem of the Jewish community. A Latin founding inscription with the date of the rebuilding appears above the entrance.

The interior is divided into two aisles by two massive piers, on which rest the cross-ribbed vaults. This double-aisled arrangement, unusual in synagogue architecture, was a response to the regulation prohibiting synagogues from being built taller than neighbouring churches — the piers lowered the perceived height while articulating the space. The bimah stands on the central axis, enclosed by a sixteenth- or seventeenth-century wrought-iron grille of fine craftsmanship. The Aron HaKodesh on the eastern wall, flanked by pilasters and decorated with acanthus garlands, is one of the finest examples of Renaissance synagogue decoration in Poland.

The women's section — a separate room on the other side of the wall — is connected to the main hall by latticed windows. The courtyard beside the synagogue preserves fragments of the original perimeter wall and a stone-flagged floor. The whole complex — the synagogue, the adjacent Remuh Cemetery, and ancillary buildings — forms a uniquely preserved fragment of the urban fabric of Jewish Kazimierz.

The Old Synagogue functions solely as a museum — no services are held here. Head covering is not required, though many visitors choose to retain hats out of respect. Photography is permitted; touching the exhibits or the bimah enclosure is not allowed.

The museum is open throughout the year, except Mondays and selected public holidays. Tickets are available at the entrance or online through the Historical Museum of Kraków website. Guided visits can be arranged in advance — museum staff lead tours in Polish, English and Hebrew. An audio guide in several languages is available at the ticket desk.

Parking for the Mercedes V-Class: Dajwór Street or the square on Bożego Ciała Street. The site is accessible for visitors with reduced mobility — a ramp is provided at the main entrance.

Zasady wizyty:

• • Nakrycie głowy mężczyzn: nie wymagane
• • Separacja płci: nie
• • Fotografia: dozwolona
• • Datek: opcjonalny

The Old Synagogue Museum is at ul. Szeroka 24, two hundred metres from the Remuh Synagogue. The Mercedes V-Class reaches Szeroka Street via Miodowa or Starowiślna. Parking for larger vehicles: Plac Nowy (300 m) or Bożego Ciała Street (200 m). Walking time from the Main Market Square is twenty minutes.