20 years ago, a new synagogue was opened in Liberec

Prague - The only new synagogue building in the territory of the Czech Republic since World War II was opened in Liberec 20 years ago, on November 9, 2000. The Jewish prayer house is part of the Regional Scientific Library, which is referred to as the Building of Reconciliation. It was co-financed, among others, by the Czech-German Future Fund and the German government.

The modern building of the library made of glass and metal, costing over half a billion crowns, comes from the studio of Liberec architect Radim Kousal. One of the most respected buildings of recent years (it received the Building of the Year title in 2001) stands on the site where one of the largest synagogues in Central Europe existed until 1938.

The building from 1899, with a 39-meter-high tower, was one of the city's prominent landmarks at the time. It was a joint construction, funded by all the churches in the city and the town hall. It was burned down by the Nazis during Kristallnacht.