Jewish cemetery in Český Krumlov

The Jewish cemetery in Český Krumlov is a small, well-preserved burial ground on the eastern edge of town, next to the municipal cemetery on today's Chotusická street. Although no regular burials have taken place here for decades, the site remains one of the best-preserved traces of Jewish life in South Bohemia.

How to get there?

The cemetery sits away from the tourist crowds of Krumlov's historic centre, in a quiet residential area bordering the town's Christian municipal cemetery. The grounds are enclosed and closed to casual visitors — access is arranged in advance through the site's caretaker, the Jewish Community of Prague. Visitors who only want to see the entrance can still view the gate and boundary wall from outside at any time.

Where did Krumlov's Jewish community come from?

Jews were expelled from Krumlov as early as 1494, and for centuries afterward no organized community existed in the town. That changed in the 19th century: a Jewish religious society was formed in 1855, becoming an independent religious community in 1873. By 1930, 111 people of Jewish faith lived in Krumlov itself, with another 56 in nearby Větřní, many of them connected to the local paper mill. The community effectively ceased to exist after 1938, when Nazi Germany annexed the Sudetenland and the town's Jews were expelled or later deported.

What makes this cemetery worth knowing about?

The burial ground was established in 1891, largely thanks to Ignác Spiro, co-owner of the Větřní paper mill and also the driving force behind building Krumlov's synagogue. The grounds are enclosed by a brick wall nearly three metres high, and the entrance is marked by a wrought-iron gate decorated with a Star of David motif — one of the more distinctive surviving examples of this kind of ornamentation in the region.

A small ceremonial hall stands on the grounds. Inside, lit by six tall arch-topped windows, the original reading stand has survived, along with remnants of a black funeral bier and the historic tiled floor — details rarely found in such condition at cemeteries of this size.

Around a hundred gravestones survive today, though burial records list 141 people in 114 graves — the difference reflects family plots and shared burials. Those interred here came not only from Krumlov itself but from at least fifteen surrounding villages and towns, for which this was the nearest Jewish cemetery. Regular burials continued until 1938. One notable exception came in 1967, when an urn containing the ashes of Petr Ignaz Spiro, sent from the United States, was placed in the family plot — the last known burial at the site.

The cemetery survived the Second World War without major damage, which is unusual among Jewish burial grounds in Central Europe. As a result, it stands today as an authentic site of memory rather than a postwar reconstruction.

When to visit?

Since the grounds are enclosed and a visit requires prior arrangement with the caretaker, it's worth planning ahead regardless of season. Anyone who only wants to see the gate and wall from outside can do so at any time of day — early morning and late afternoon light works best for photos.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Jewish cemetery in Český Krumlov founded? It was established in 1891, largely through the efforts of Ignác Spiro, co-owner of the Větřní paper mill.

How many gravestones have survived? Around a hundred gravestones remain, with burial records showing 141 people interred in 114 graves.

Can visitors enter the cemetery? The grounds are closed, and entry requires prior arrangement with the caretaker, the Jewish Community of Prague. The gate and wall can be viewed from outside without restriction.

When was the last burial here? Regular burials continued until 1938. As an exception, an urn with the ashes of Petr Ignaz Spiro, sent from the United States, was interred in 1967.