Holocaust memorial in Ústí nad Labem

Holocaust Memorial in Ústí nad Labem stands in the City Gardens (Městské sady), on the grounds of the town's former Old Jewish Cemetery. Unveiled in 2005, the granite monument recalls the Jews of Ústí who did not survive the Second World War.

Where exactly does the memorial stand?

The memorial stands in the City Gardens, on the site of the old Jewish cemetery, founded in 1866 at the corner of today's Jana Palacha and Sadová streets. In 1924 the gravestones were covered with earth, and a year later the grounds became part of the city park - the same City Gardens visitors walk through today. The memorial itself is placed among trees on a lawn, away from the main paths, inviting quiet reflection rather than a passing glance.

What does the memorial look like?

At its centre is a six-pointed Star of David carved from granite, weighing nine tonnes, half-submerged in the ground. The star rests without a pedestal - a deliberate choice meant to convey humility. Despite looking as if some destructive force had cast it down, the star remains whole, not fragmented, symbolising both the assault on the Jewish people and the survival of those who lived through the Holocaust. The half-buried star has also been read as an image of simultaneously rising and sinking - a metaphor for the fate of Ústí's Jewish community.

Who created the memorial?

The design came from Ústí architect Michal Gabriel, with the stonework carried out by Jiří Rusý and Irena Fišerová of Louny. The project cost around $30,000 and was unveiled in 2005.

Who does the memorial commemorate?

The monument honours more than 1,000 Jews from Ústí nad Labem killed in the Holocaust. Before the war, around 1,250 Jews lived in the town; only 195 of them survived.

What happened to Ústí's Jewish community?

From the 1860s until 1938, Ústí nad Labem had a thriving Jewish community that played a major role in the town's industrial, economic and cultural development. On New Year's Eve 1938, the Nazis burned down the local synagogue; the site was later turned into a meat-processing plant.

Frequently asked questions

When was the memorial unveiled? In 2005.

What is the memorial made of? Granite - a nine-tonne sculpture in the shape of a six-pointed Star of David, half-buried in the ground and set without a pedestal.

Where in the City Gardens does it stand? On a lawn among trees, on the site of the former Old Jewish Cemetery, founded in 1866 at the corner of Jana Palacha and Sadová streets.

Who designed it? Ústí architect Michal Gabriel; the stonework was carried out by Jiří Rusý and Irena Fišerová of Louny.

How many people does the memorial commemorate? More than 1,000 Jews from Ústí murdered in the Holocaust. Of a prewar community of about 1,250, only 195 survived.

Is this the same monument as the Pomník obětem fašismu in Ústí nad Labem? No - it's a separate monument. The Pomník obětem fašismu has a broader scope, commemorating victims of fascism generally, while this granite Star-of-David memorial in the City Gardens focuses specifically on the Jews of Ústí murdered in the Holocaust and stands on the grounds of the former Jewish cemetery.