Holocaust Memorial And Old Jewish Graveyard
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Basic Information

The old Jewish quarter of Prague, where Franz Kafka once lived, is full of beautiful synagogues and Judaica which now serve almost exclusively as tourist sites, so complete was the extirpation of the city's Jewish community before and during World War II. One of these synagogues now serves as the City's holocaust memorial.

Completely stripped of furnishings and wall decorations, the interior of the synagogue is covered entirely with carefully stencilled names. These represent the names of all the victims of the Holocaust from the city of Prague and its environs. Visitors pass through every room of the synagogue by a specified route, and then exit through the old Jewish Graveyard of the city. The Jewish community of Prague had such long roots in the city that graves were reused again and again over the centuries, with the result that the earth is 'heaped' up over the level of the footpaths, giving the impression of walking along a culvert between hills covered in ancient gravestones whose markings have long been worn away.

Far more impressive than Franz Kafka, the Jewish graveyard is also the last resting place of the Maharal and the remains of his Golem are still said to be stored in the attic of the Altneu Synagogue.

Sources

Bibliography
1. Golem; Petisk, Eduard ISBN 80-900129-2-2 - contains Jewish legends concerning the Maharal and an extensive guide to the Prague Jewish Quarter and a map of the Cemetery.

Game and Story Use

  • A trip to the Altneuschul would be a good adventure for a Kabbalist Rabbi - or anyone who wants to investigate legends of the Golem. However, the book cited contains a minatory tale about the dangers of ignorant goyim meddling in the mysteries of Golemcraft…
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