The Old-New Synagogue in Prague is the oldest active synagogue in Europe. It was completed around 1270 in the city’s medieval Jewish quarter and has served Prague’s Jewish community for more than seven centuries. The building is an outstanding example of early Gothic synagogue architecture, with a distinctive two-nave interior, ribbed vaulting and a central bimah. It was originally known as the New or Great Synagogue; the name Old-New Synagogue came into use only after newer synagogues were established nearby. The synagogue became closely associated with Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the Maharal of Prague, and later with legends of the Golem. Most importantly for this record, it remains a functioning house of Jewish worship, which is why the word “Active” is essential to the title.
Dating and scope clarification (JWR verification, 6 November 2026): The precise completion date is unknown. The Prague City Tourism authority dates the Gothic building to the 1270s, whereas the Jewish Museum in Prague describes its construction as taking place in the final third of the thirteenth century, and YIVO describes completion as approximately 1270. The record value therefore denotes the estimated decade (1270s), not an authenticated exact year, month or day. The synagogue remains active today, but its worship history was interrupted during the Nazi occupation in 1942–1945. The qualifying word 'Active' is essential: the former Old Synagogue in Erfurt, Germany, retains portions from the eleventh century and is older as a surviving synagogue building, but now serves as a museum rather than an active house of worship. Ancient archaeological synagogue remains, such as those at Ostia, likewise predate Prague but are not active synagogues. Sources: Jewish Museum in Prague, Old-New Synagogue; Prague City Tourism, Old New Synagogue; YIVO Encyclopedia, Altneuschul; Erfurt Jewish Life, Old Synagogue.
