Jewish cemetery in Prčice

The Jewish cemetery in Prčice is a quiet, half-hidden site that tells the story of a long-standing rural Jewish community in Central Bohemia. Set in a wooded, peaceful spot roughly 1.2 km north of Prčice, it is reached by an overgrown dirt track that branches off near a farm on the road toward Heřmaničky. It isn't a place you stumble upon by accident — but that very remoteness is the reason it has survived in a form still worth visiting today.

When was the cemetery founded and who is buried here?

The burial ground was established between 1865 and 1867, when the local Jewish community of Prčice and neighboring Sedlec needed a cemetery of its own. The first burial took place in August 1867, when Josefa, daughter of Veit Mautner of Sedlec, was laid to rest. Over the following decades the cemetery served Jewish families from the surrounding area, who worked mainly as shopkeepers, tailors, carpenters and tanners. The last burials took place in the early 1940s, shortly before the community's tragic end: in September 1942, the remaining Jewish families of the region were deported to Auschwitz, effectively ending centuries of Jewish presence in the area.

How many gravestones remain and how large is the site?

The cemetery covers an area of about 1,575 square meters, on which roughly 50 gravestones from various periods have survived. It is estimated that around 170 people were buried here in total — a gravestone count far lower than the number of burials, which is typical for rural Jewish cemeteries, where many markers were lost, damaged or removed over the decades.

What happened to the cemetery after the war?

After World War II, with no one left to maintain it, the site fell into neglect and suffered partial damage. One striking detail: in 1984 the Czechoslovak communist authorities granted permission to demolish the cemetery to convert the land for agricultural use, but a lack of labor and equipment meant the plan was never carried out. As a result, the site survived, if in a neglected state. Restoration work began in 1995, and between 2000 and 2002 the mortuary building at the entrance and the surrounding wall were rebuilt. Today the grounds are tended but retain a raw, natural character, with gravestones standing among trees and undergrowth typical of the surrounding woodland.

Why is it worth a visit?

This site appeals to visitors interested in history, funerary architecture and the Jewish heritage of provincial Bohemia. Unlike the well-known, heavily visited Jewish cemeteries of Prague, this one offers silence and an almost meditative stillness — no crowds, ticket booths or guided tours. It stands as an authentic record of local history that can be explored independently, walking among old headstones partly reclaimed by vegetation.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to the cemetery? The cemetery lies about 1.2 km north of central Prčice. It is reached via an unmarked, overgrown dirt track starting near a farm on the road toward Heřmaničky — best explored on foot or by bicycle.

Is the cemetery open to visitors? The site can be visited, though there is no tourist infrastructure — no information panels, ticket office or regular guided access.

How many gravestones have survived? Around 50 gravestones remain on the roughly 1,575 square meter plot, even though an estimated 170 people were buried here over the cemetery's history.

When did the last burials take place? The last burials occurred in the early 1940s, shortly before the local Jewish community was deported in September 1942.