Jewish cemetery in Březnice

The Jewish cemetery in Březnice sits on the northern edge of town, next to the former Jewish quarter of Lokšany, and ranks among the older surviving burial grounds of its kind in central Bohemia. It was laid out before 1617, and its oldest surviving tombstones date from the closing years of the 17th century. The grounds were enlarged in the mid-19th century and now cover just under 2,400 square meters.

How do you get to the cemetery?

The burial ground lies along road I/19 (Rožmitálská street), on its northern side. Coming from the center of Březnice, you pass a filling station and, after roughly 300 meters, turn right onto a paved path that leads straight to the gate. The cemetery is freely accessible to visitors; the only house rule is to close the gate again on the way out.

What is there to see inside?

Around 250 tombstones have survived, spanning a period from the 17th century up to the years just before the Second World War. Baroque and Neoclassical forms dominate, though Renaissance and Neo-Gothic tombstones also appear, clustered mostly in the northeastern section of the grounds. Those buried here include local and regional rabbis, along with Wolf Popper, remembered as one of the leading figures of the Bohemian Jewish community of his time.

Next to the eastern stretch of the boundary wall stands a ceremonial hall, rebuilt to its present form in the 19th century. Funeral rites were held here before burials took place on the grounds.

Why did the cemetery fall out of use?

The cemetery served the local Jewish community without interruption until its destruction during the Second World War. In 1942, following transport lists, the Jews of Březnice were deported first to Klatovy and from there to the Terezín ghetto. By 1945, 201 Jewish residents of Březnice had died in Terezín and Auschwitz. After the war the cemetery was left without care, and a number of 19th- and 20th-century monuments were stolen or destroyed.

What does the cemetery look like today?

Since 1995 the site has belonged to the Jewish Community of Prague, which has gradually worked to preserve it. The ceremonial hall was renovated in the 1990s, and in 2004 the boundary wall was thoroughly repaired and the grounds cleaned up. The cemetery is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, giving it formal protection against further decay.

Right next door, in the Lokšany quarter, a Baroque synagogue has also survived — together with the cemetery, it forms one of the few complete surviving ensembles of Jewish heritage in the region.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Jewish cemetery in Březnice open to visitors? Yes, the grounds are freely accessible; visitors are only asked to close the gate behind them when leaving.

How many tombstones have survived? About 250 tombstones remain, dating from the 17th century through to the years just before the war.

Who takes care of the cemetery today? Since 1995 it has been owned and maintained by the Jewish Community of Prague, which funded the renovation of the ceremonial hall and the repair of the boundary wall.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The neighboring Lokšany quarter has a surviving Baroque synagogue, which rounds out the story of Březnice's Jewish community.