The Old Synagogue in Kraków
Old Synagogue ('Stara Synagoga' in Polish) is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Kazimierz district of Kraków, Poland, in Yiddish it was referred to as the Alta Shul. It is the oldest synagogue building still standing in Poland, and one of the most precious landmarks of Jewish architecture in Europe.
Until the German invasion of Poland in 1939, it was one of the most important synagogues in the city as well as the main religious, social, and organizational centre of the Kraków Jewish community. In 1794 General Tadeusz Kościuszko spoke from the synagogue to gain the Jewish support in the struggle for Polish independence. A plaque in the entrance hall commemorates this event:
"The Jews proved to the world that whenever humanity can gain, they would not spare themselves." – General Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Kraków, Poland
The Old Synagogue in Kraków
Old Synagogue ('Stara Synagoga' in Polish) is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Kazimierz district of Kraków, Poland, in Yiddish it was referred to as the Alta Shul. It is the oldest synagogue building still standing in Poland, and one of the most precious landmarks of Jewish architecture in Europe.
Until the German invasion of Poland in 1939, it was one of the most important synagogues in the city as well as the main religious, social, and organizational centre of the Kraków Jewish community. In 1794 General Tadeusz Kościuszko spoke from the synagogue to gain the Jewish support in the struggle for Polish independence. A plaque in the entrance hall commemorates this event:
"The Jews proved to the world that whenever humanity can gain, they would not spare themselves." – General Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Kraków, Poland