Jewish Quarter and Synagogue

Just outside the old town's southern walls, Bardejov's Jewish quarter survives in unusually complete form. The Great Synagogue, built between 1725 and 1747, anchors a group of connected buildings that once made up the full apparatus of Jewish communal life: the synagogue itself, a bet midrash (study house), a mikveh (ritual bath), and a kosher slaughterhouse. This is one of the few places in Central Europe where the full complex of buildings can still be seen together.

The synagogue's interior has been restored and now contains a permanent exhibition on the history of the Jewish community in Bardejov and the surrounding region. The building's proportions and detail are impressive; combined with the historical context, it makes for a moving and worthwhile visit.

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A story
Bardejov's Jewish community dates to the 17th century and reached some 2,500 people before the Second World War. Almost all were deported and killed in 1942. The synagogue complex survived largely intact — a rare example of a complete 18th-century Jewish quarter — and now functions as a museum that commemorates both the community and its destruction.