Agnon House

A national site and a cultural and educational institution, dedicated to the creation of the writer Shmuel Yosef (Shai) Agnon, winner of the Noble Prize for Literature. The house on Klausner Street at the old Talpiot neighbourhood (Arnona) was built in 1931 and was planned by architect Fritz Kornberg. Agnon lived in this house until his death in 1970, and it was here that he wrote many of his best known works: “A Simple Story”, “Only Yesterday”, “A Guest for the Night”, “Shira” and more. The house has recently been restored and reconstructed and offers an introduction to Agnon’s life story and unique contribution to Hebrew culture.

What’s at the site: the reconstructed living room of the Agnon family and the writer’s original study. Agnon’s library contains thousands of books which he picked carefully: prayer and liturgical books, Kabbalah and Hasidic books, Midrash (Talmudic literature) and legend, history of the Jewish People and prose; a shaded garden for holding events during the summer; a database on Agnon and his works; a hall for lectures and altering exhibitions.

For the general public: an audio guide in Hebrew and English for a self-tour of the house. For groups by advance coordination: guided tours of the Agnon House and various tours of Jerusalem following Agnon’s creation.