History
The Old School, in Hebrew Altschul, was the oldest synagogue in Prague's Josefov. It came into being in the 12th century and the first written record of it dates from 1142, when, following the burning of the oldest Prague Jewish settlement on the left bank of the Vltava, the quarter was abandoned and its inhabitants moved to the right bank. The Old School thus stood at the very beginning of what gradually became the largest and most significant Jewish ghetto in Central Europe.
Over the centuries the synagogue was repeatedly struck by fires and pogroms. During the Easter riots of 1389 it was burned down along with much of the ghetto, and again in the great fires of 1516 and 1689. Turbulent times also came with the decree of Empress Maria Theresa of 1744, which expelled the Jews from Prague; between 1745 and 1748 the synagogue fell into ruin, and it was not until 1750 that the primator of the ghetto, Israel Frankl Spira, had it restored. After another fire in 1754 it was rebuilt, and from 1837 onwards reformed services were held there, accompanied by synagogue music. Between 1836 and 1845, František Škroup, the composer of the Czech national anthem Kde domov můj (Where Is My Home?), served there as organist.
In the final period of its existence the Old School served the Reform congregation of Prague's German-speaking Jews. The Neo-Gothic renovation of its interior in the 1840s was not well received, the synagogue's capacity had ceased to be adequate and its condition was deteriorating. In 1867 the building was demolished, and in its place the Spanish Synagogue was built between 1868 and 1893.
The Origin of the Name and the Byzantine Community
The name Old School reflects the original function of medieval synagogues, which served not only as houses of worship but also as schools and community centres. According to historical sources, the Old School was originally the synagogue of Jews of Byzantine cultural origin, who lived somewhat apart from the main centre of the ghetto near the Old New Synagogue. Their part of the quarter was known as V Podžidí and was distinct from the main centre of the Jewish Town. Towards the end of the 15th century, following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain by Queen Isabella of Castile, a number of Sephardic immigrants found refuge in Prague and were assigned the Old School for their services — which is why the building later became associated with the designation Spanish.
Legacy Today
Of the original Old School not a stone remains. The only direct reminder is the name of the street U Staré školy (At the Old School), which runs along the northern side of the Spanish Synagogue, and the public transport stop of the same name. The Spanish Synagogue that stands on the site today is one of the most beautiful synagogues in the world and forms part of the visitor circuit of the Prague Jewish Museum. For admission and practical information, see the Spanish Synagogue page.