High Synagogue was financed by Mordechai Maisel, and it was finished in 1568, the same year as the Jewish Town Hall

Jewish Town Hall, Prague

The Jewish Town Hall in Josefov, Prague, was constructed adjacent to the Old New Synagogue on the corner of Maiselova and Červená Ulice in 1586 in Renaissance style under the sponsorship of Mayor Mordechai Maisel. It acquired its Rococo facade in the 18th century. The building was the main meeting...

. The house was designed by P. Roder in Renaissance style (supervising builder was master Rada). It was designed as a preaching place for councilors of Jewish town hall

Jewish Town Hall, Prague

The Jewish Town Hall in Josefov, Prague, was constructed adjacent to the Old New Synagogue on the corner of Maiselova and Červená Ulice in 1586 in Renaissance style under the sponsorship of Mayor Mordechai Maisel. It acquired its Rococo facade in the 18th century. The building was the main meeting...

. In the center there were bimah

Bimah

A bimah A bimah A bimah (among Ashkenazim, derived from Hebrew בּמה , almemar (from Arabic al-minbar) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve the place where the person reading aloud from the Torah stands during the Torah reading...

, surrounded by seats. Mordechai Maisel gave pieces of Torah

Torah

Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 and silver tools to the synagogue. The stucco

Stucco

Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...

 ceiling was gothic ribbed vaulting.

In 1689 it was destroyed by the Great Fire. The synagogue was reconstructed.

In 1883 the synagogue was rebuilt by J. M. Wertmüller. During this modification the facade was simplified to the modern appearance.

In 1907 the eastern entrance was closed, and a new entrance was made facing Red Street (Červená ulice).

Other reconstructions were during 1961, 1974-79 and 1982.

During the Nazi and communist rule, the synagogue was part of Jewish Museum and there was an exhibition of old Hebrew books.