6 Ceremonial Hall |
Ceremonial Hall
Jewish Customs and Traditions
Part II: Ways of Life
The Ceremonial Hall of the Burial Society houses the
concluding section
of part two of the exhibition “The Course of Life”. The main theme is
that of illness and death. Individual topics are accompanied by examples
from the unique series of Prague Burial Society paintings from the 1880s.
The main hall features descriptions and illustrations of assistance
provided by the Society to the ill and the dying, ritual washing of
the dead, and the burial ceremony. Exhibits worthy of particular note
include a pitcher belonging to the Mikulov Burial Society, a number
of illuminated manuscripts, and a collection of silver alms boxes. In
the next room, focus is placed on Jewish cemeteries and tombstones -
exhibits include fragments of tombstones from the 14th century and a
wooden tomb structure from 1836. Another room is devoted to memorial
prayers for the dead and engravings and paintings depicting the Old
Jewish Cemetery of Prague. The upper-floor room focuses on burial society
organization, domestic life and public representation. Noteworthy exhibits
include portraits of representatives, a parchment document of the statutes
from 1759, a ballot box and beakers used during the annual celebrations
of the Burial Society.
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