Jewish Town Hall

The Jewish Town Hall (Židovská radnice) was built in 1577 in Renaissance style under the patronage of Mordechai Maisel — the wealthy mayor of the Jewish Quarter and one of the most influential figures in 16th-century Prague. After a fire in 1755 it was rebuilt in Late Baroque style; what visitors see today is its Rococo façade. The building is best known for its two clocks on the tower: the upper one with standard Roman numerals, and the lower one with Hebrew numerals whose hands move counterclockwise — reflecting that Hebrew is read from right to left. Today the building is the headquarters of the Prague Jewish Community (Kehila). A notable exterior landmark in Josefov, worth a close look when visiting the nearby Old-New Synagogue — but do not expect interior access.