Foundation established
Founded by the Jewish Community of Pilsen and the City of Pilsen.
Since 1994
Help preserve the synagogues of Pilsen.
The Nadace Rudolfa Löwyho a plzeňských židů pro plzeňské synagogy supports the care, preservation and cultural life of the historic Jewish sites in Pilsen.
Mission
The mission of the Foundation is to care for the Pilsen synagogues and support their cultural life.
The Foundation helps raise and allocate funds for the preservation, repair and meaningful cultural use of the Great Synagogue, the Old Synagogue, the Jewish School and related Jewish heritage sites in Pilsen.
Our aim is to keep these historic places visible, accessible and connected with the memory and cultural life of the city.
Why support us
Your support helps preserve a unique part of Jewish and European heritage.
Pilsen’s synagogues are not only historic buildings. They are places of memory, culture, education and encounter.
Heritage sites
The Great Synagogue, Old Synagogue, Jewish School and Rabbinical House in Pilsen.
Board remuneration
Members of the Foundation’s governing and supervisory bodies serve without remuneration.
Continuity
Long-term care for Jewish heritage requires steady and responsible support.
What we support
Care, research and cultural life
The Foundation supports activities that strengthen the preservation and public meaning of the Pilsen synagogues.
Preservation and care
Repairs, conservation, maintenance and care for historic buildings and their furnishings.
Documentation and research
Documentation, surveys, historical and art-historical research connected with the Jewish heritage sites.
Culture and remembrance
Concerts, lectures, commemorative events and public programmes held in or connected with the synagogues.
Donate
Help us keep Pilsen’s Jewish heritage alive.
Every donation supports the care of the synagogues and helps preserve them for future generations. For international donations, please contact us and we will provide the most suitable transfer details.
Foundation account
IBAN: CZ02 8040 0000 0041 1101 0381
BIC/SWIFT-Code: OBKLCZ2X
Registration No.: 49777327
E-mail: nrl@zoplzen.cz
We will gladly provide confirmation of your donation upon request.
The person behind the Foundation
14 November 1918, Pilsen – 23 February 1994, Pilsen
Rudolf Löwy
Rudolf Löwy was a war veteran, an active member of the Jewish Community of Pilsen and one of the few people who worked to save Jewish heritage sites during a long period of neglect.
After leaving for Great Britain, he served in the Czechoslovak army abroad. In later years, he devoted himself consistently to the protection of Jewish heritage in Pilsen and across the wider West Bohemian region.
The newly established Foundation adopted his name in recognition of his many years of work for the Jewish Community of Pilsen and his care for Jewish heritage sites in Pilsen and throughout West Bohemia.
1939–1945
Fighting for the freedom of Czechoslovakia
After leaving the country, he and his brother Oskar reached Great Britain. He joined the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade, took part in the fighting in Western Europe and returned home in 1945.
After 1945
The family farm and the post-war return
After the war, he worked on the family farm in Kunějovice. Following the communist takeover, the farm was gradually taken away from the family and Rudolf Löwy was eventually forced to leave agriculture; he later worked as a driver.
From the 1960s
Renewing the life of the Jewish community
He became increasingly involved in the life of the Jewish Community of Pilsen, took an interest in its history and drew attention to the condition of Jewish heritage sites, which continued to deteriorate after the war and under the communist regime.
In retirement
Saving cemeteries and synagogues
He focused on stopping the destruction of old Jewish cemeteries and on preparing for the restoration of the Pilsen synagogues. His work helped keep the need for their preservation in public view even before conditions for more extensive restoration emerged after 1989.
1994
A name expressing continuity
Rudolf Löwy died on 23 February 1994. The Foundation, established later that year by the Jewish Community of Pilsen and the City of Pilsen, was named after him as a mark of respect for his commitment to protecting Jewish heritage. His approach to this work remains an important example for the Foundation.
Sources: Encyclopaedia of Pilsen, City of Pilsen and Memory of Nations.
About the Foundation
A foundation established to support the Pilsen synagogues
The Foundation was established on 29 August 1994 by the Jewish Community of Pilsen and the City of Pilsen. Its original purpose was to help rescue and restore Pilsen’s synagogues after decades of neglect under totalitarian and hostile regimes.
Today the Foundation continues this mission through support for care, documentation, research and cultural programmes connected with the synagogues and related Jewish heritage sites.
The official Czech name of the Foundation is: Nadace Rudolfa Löwyho a plzeňských židů pro plzeňské synagogy.
Transparency
The Foundation publishes its annual reports in Czech. An English translation of the 2025 Annual Report is provided for the convenience of international supporters and readers.
The Czech version is the official version of the report.
Contact
Address:
301 00 Plzeň, Smetanovy sady 80/5, Czech Republic
Postal address:
301 00 Plzeň, Palackého 442/3, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 377 235 749
E-mail: nrl@zoplzen.cz