Jewish cemetery in Dřevíkov

The Jewish cemetery in Dřevíkov is one of the better-preserved yet still little-known Jewish burial grounds in the Vysočina region of eastern Bohemia. It sits about 500 meters northwest of the village of Dřevíkov, tucked at the edge of a forest in the Chrudim district, roughly 6 kilometers from Hlinsko and about 24 kilometers from Havlíčkův Brod. Its secluded, woodland setting means most visitors stumble upon a place that feels forgotten, even though it is officially listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Where did the Jewish community of Dřevíkov come from?

A Jewish community took shape near Dřevíkov sometime around the mid-18th century, and the cemetery is believed to date from the same period — its oldest surviving tombstone bears the year 1748, although some researchers date the earliest burials to 1762. The community reached its peak in the mid-19th century, with around 30 families living in the area. By the late 19th century the congregation had dissolved, and by 1930 no Jewish residents remained in the village. The building that once housed a small synagogue and a school still stands today, now used as a shop.

How large is the cemetery, and how many graves does it hold?

The cemetery currently covers 1,777 square meters and contains around 300 matzevot — Jewish tombstones carved in Baroque and Classicist styles, many of them considered artistically and historically significant. The grounds were expanded after 1886 to accommodate later generations of burials. Because interments continued here for close to 180 years, the site preserves a rare, continuous record of changing funerary art, from austere Baroque slabs to more decorative Classicist forms.

Until when were burials held here?

Regular burials at the Dřevíkov cemetery continued into the first third of the 20th century, after which the site gradually fell into neglect and disrepair. Today the cemetery belongs to the Jewish community of Prague, which holds formal responsibility for its upkeep. Sources differ slightly on whether isolated, occasional burials may have taken place later in the 20th century, but they agree that the cemetery's active period as a community burial ground effectively ended by the 1930s.

What is worth seeing on site?

One of the cemetery's most distinctive architectural features is its roofed entrance gate. Unlike a simple gateway, this structure served a dual purpose: it marked the entrance to the burial grounds while also functioning as storage for the funeral cart used during ceremonies. This combination is uncommon among Jewish cemeteries in the region and gives Dřevíkov added value as a piece of sepulchral architecture, not merely as a collection of tombstones.

In the late 1990s, restoration work was carried out on the site, including repairs to the surrounding wall and to a number of damaged tombstones. As a result, despite decades without systematic care, the cemetery survives today in reasonably good condition.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Dřevíkov cemetery open to visitors? The site lies off the beaten path at the edge of a forest, but as a protected cultural monument it can be visited — visitors should treat it with the respect due to a place of burial.

What makes this cemetery different from other Jewish cemeteries in the region? Its nearly 180-year span of continuous use and its surviving roofed gate, which doubled as storage for the funeral cart, are features rarely found together at other Jewish cemeteries nearby.

Who currently manages the cemetery? The Jewish community of Prague formally owns and oversees the site.

Are there other traces of Jewish presence nearby? Yes — the village still has the building that once served as a small synagogue combined with a school, now in use as a shop.