Synagogue and expozice Mikulov and the Moravian Jews
The oldest and today the only remaining synagogue in Mikulov is known as the Upper or Old Synagogue, standing between the row houses on today's Husova Street, which was once the main street through Mikulov's Jewish quarter. It stands on the site of an older synagogue probably dating from the mid-15th century. The direct precursor to today's synagogue was a Renaissance synagogue built in 1550, which was rebuilt after a fire in 1561. After one of the town of Mikulov's worst fires in 1719 the synagogue underwent further renovation. The ceiling of the hall consists of four Baroque cupolas, supported in the middle by four columns that form the canopy of the covered bima. The idea for this unique architectural element was probably brought by refugees from Poland who settled here in the mid-17th century. The synagogue's renovation was probably directed by Johann Christian Oedtl, an architect in the service of the Dietrichsteins. Another famous artist, sculptor Ignác Lengelacher, made the great ark containing the Torah - the Aron ha-Kodesh. The synagogue's interior decoration was very rich - ornamentation and Hebrew texts in the sky-blue cupolas, and numerous stucco elements. Interior furnishings that have survived include a stone basin in the entry hall, and a stone pedestal with water basin in the main hall. The Upper Synagogue was used for worship until 1938. The devastation caused by the years of the Nazi occupation and the ill favor of the former regime did great damage to the lovely interior of the main hall. This unique Jewish monument was saved by the Mikulov museum through a major reconstruction done in 1977-1988. The synagogue underwent many changes at that time and its religious character was deliberately underplayed; even so it remains one of the most beautiful synagogues in the country.
The Regional Museum, which transferred the synagogue to the Jewish Community in Brno after 1989, continues to use the space as an exhibition and concert hall. Rare objects from the collections of the museum here and the Jewish Museum in Prague document the history of Judaism in Moravia and its deep connections to Mikulov. Synagogue silver and textile of Moravian provenience, written documents and other reminders of Moravian history such as the Moravian scribes' academy or Mikulov's embroidery workshop make the exhibition Mikulov and the Moravian Jews an extraordinary document of an extraordinary culture. The exhibit also tells of the traditional Jewish holiday ceremonies and family events, and provides basic information for those who have never had the opportunity to encounter Judaism up close.