In the period of tolerance towards Jews and their settlement in Croatian lands, until their early emancipation, Jews were granted the right to own property, and in the 1860s the building of the synagogue began. The Jewish community bought a plot of land in the then Marija Valerija Street, today Praška Street 9 and hired a famous architect Franjo Klein to build a synagogue. The synagogue was modeled on the synagogue in Leopoldstadt (Leopoldstädter Tempel), the largest Wiennese synagogue built in the Neo-Moorish style.
The construction of the synagogue began in 1866, and the synagogue was opened in 1867. It was built in the period of the great urban development of the downtown Zagreb. Therefore, it was the tallest building in this part of the city and looked very impressive. The synagogue was built next to the street that led from the main square to the railway station. It was a true symbol of the presence and importance of the Jewish community in Zagreb.