The Jewish Museum in Prague hosted a celebration at the Spanish Synagogue to mark 30 years since the museum was returned to the care of the Czech Jewish community.
The event featured musical and theatrical entertainment for the whole family. From Polish 1930s jazz to Czech-German cabaret, the free event celebrated both the museum and the Jewish contributions to the art, music, and culture of Central Europe.
The Jewish Museum in Prague was originally founded in 1906 by historian Salomon Hugo Lieben and municipal councillor August Stein, with the aim of collecting and protecting Jewish religious objects.
However, in 1939, following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the museum association was dissolved. Under Nazi supervision, a new Jewish Central Museum was established, becoming a repository that preserved Jewish books, records, and liturgical objects from across the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
After the Second World War, the museum faced further challenges under the communist régime, as it was nationalised in 1950. The state limited the scope of the museum’s exhibitions and prohibited international collaborations with Judaica experts. It wasn’t until the Velvet Revolution in 1989 that the museum’s future took a positive turn. In 1994, control over the museum was returned to the Jewish Community of Prague, and Leo Pavlát became its first independent director.
To celebrate three decades of independence, the museum organised a special event, featuring five different performances. Among these were dances by members of the National Theatre ballet and jazz and classical pieces from the 1930s, played by the Polish group Mała Orkiestra Dancingowa.