Jewish cemetery in Hartmanice

The Jewish cemetery in Hartmanice sits roughly a kilometre outside the village, in the foothill landscape of the Šumava Mountains near the German border, about 150 km southwest of Prague. Little remains on site today, yet the place carries a heavier story than its quiet, overgrown appearance suggests, one tied to a Jewish community that lived, worked and eventually vanished from this corner of Bohemia.

When did Jews settle in this part of Šumava?

Jewish families began settling in the poor, mountainous Hartmanice area in the first half of the 19th century. The community here was always small, scraping a living from farming and small trade in a demanding highland environment. From the second half of the 19th century onward, many Jewish residents of the surrounding villages moved away to larger towns in search of better opportunities. By 1930, only 21 people of Jewish faith remained in Hartmanice itself, and just 3 in nearby Kundratice.

How was the cemetery established, and what does it look like now?

The cemetery was founded in 1870. The last known burial took place before 1939, which lines up with the gradual disappearance of the local Jewish community during the interwar period. The site was heavily devastated, both in the years leading up to World War II and during the war itself, when Nazi forces carried out acts of vandalism against it. Today, almost no physical traces of the original cemetery survive; there is no visible field of gravestones to walk among. The one clear marker of remembrance on site is a commemorative monument. The area is also linked to a grim postwar episode: a mass grave from 1945, a stark reminder of the final chaotic months of the war in this region.

What else is there to see in Hartmanice related to this history?

The cemetery is only one part of a wider story about Jewish life in the area. Hartmanice itself houses a small museum set up inside the former synagogue, dedicated to the pre-war coexistence of Czechs, Germans and Jews in the Šumava region. Visitors can see modern exhibitions and multimedia presentations exploring this shared, multicultural history that shaped the region for decades before the war and subsequent population transfers changed it for good. Those who want to dig deeper can also visit the nearby Simon Adler Museum in Dobrá Voda, close to Hartmanice, which focuses specifically on the history of Jews in the Šumava Mountains.

Is the cemetery marked for visitors?

Yes. As part of a broader effort to document and preserve Jewish heritage sites in western and southwestern Bohemia, the Czech non-profit TAMUS (Tachov Archives and Museum Society) installed information panels at six Jewish cemeteries in the region, including the one in Hartmanice. This means visitors can learn about the cemetery's history on site, even though the ground itself no longer holds visible physical evidence of its past.

Frequently asked questions

Are there still gravestones at the Hartmanice Jewish cemetery? No. The cemetery was heavily vandalized before and during World War II, and almost no physical traces of the original graves remain today.

When was the cemetery founded? It was established in 1870, with the last recorded burial occurring before 1939.

Where can I learn more about the local Jewish history in Hartmanice? The former synagogue in Hartmanice now houses a museum on the coexistence of Czechs, Germans and Jews in Šumava, and the nearby Simon Adler Museum in Dobrá Voda offers further exhibits on the region's Jewish history.