High Synagogue

The High Synagogue on Jozefa Street stands apart because its prayer hall sits on the second floor, a feature that distinguishes it from every other synagogue in the Kazimierz district. Built in the late sixteenth century, the structure served the wealthiest members of the Jewish community who could afford to construct their sanctuary above the ground-level shops. In nineteen forty-three, German forces stripped the interior and used the building as a storage facility, leaving the ornate ark desecrated and the colorful wall frescoes nearly destroyed.