Jewish cemetery in Přistoupim

The Jewish cemetery in Přistoupim is one of the best-preserved Jewish heritage sites in the Kolín region, lying about 200 meters north of the village center in Central Bohemia. With nearly 600 surviving gravestones dating back to the 18th century, it reveals how this now-quiet village was once a significant center of Jewish life in the area.

When was the cemetery founded?

The cemetery's origins trace back to a contract signed on November 13, 1713, between Václav Vratislav Dohalský and representatives of the local Jewish community, covering the purchase of land for the burial ground. The oldest tombstones still legible today date from the mid-18th century. In 1847 the cemetery was substantially enlarged, reflecting the growing size of the surrounding Jewish community during the first half of the 19th century.

How large is the cemetery and how many gravestones remain?

The burial ground covers nearly 4,000 square meters and holds around 600 preserved tombstones in Baroque, Classicist, and later 20th-century styles. This scale and stylistic range make the Přistoupim cemetery one of the more significant Jewish burial sites in the wider Kolín district.

Who was the cemetery used by?

Přistoupim was once one of the most important rural Jewish communities in the entire Kolín region, so the cemetery served far more than just the village itself. Jews from nearby Český Brod and from smaller Jewish communities in surrounding villages that lacked their own burial grounds were also laid to rest here. Next to the cemetery stands a former 18th-century Jewish communal building, which housed a prayer room and a Jewish school before the synagogue was built; after the war, in the 1950s, the building was converted into housing.

What is the most striking chapter in the cemetery's history?

The most poignant episode connected to this site are its final burials, carried out in January 1945, when women prisoners who had died during an evacuation transport from Auschwitz were buried here. This event marks the cemetery as more than a piece of sepulchral architecture — it is also a place of memory tied directly to the tragedy of the Holocaust in this part of Central Bohemia.

What happened to the former synagogue?

The former synagogue building in Přistoupim now serves as the seat of the municipal office. Its facade bears a memorial plaque commemorating the deportation of the local Jewish community to Auschwitz in 1942 — one of the few direct, physical reminders of those events still standing in the village.

Is the cemetery protected, and who takes care of it?

The cemetery has held protected cultural monument status since 1988. It underwent repairs in the 1970s, and since 2018 it has been looked after by the local non-profit organization oPŘISe, which organizes volunteer clean-up days twice a year — in spring and autumn — to maintain the grounds and the vegetation around the gravestones.

Can visitors enter the cemetery?

The grounds are enclosed by a stone wall, with a gated entrance featuring a metal grille on the northern side. The cemetery is normally kept locked, though according to local tradition, keys can be borrowed from the municipal office. It is worth checking locally in advance, as access arrangements can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Jewish cemetery in Přistoupim located? About 200 meters north of the center of the village of Přistoupim, in the Kolín district of Central Bohemia.

When was the cemetery established? In 1713, under a land-purchase contract dated November 13 of that year; it was significantly expanded in 1847.

How many gravestones have survived? Around 600 tombstones in Baroque, Classicist, and 20th-century styles, spread across nearly 4,000 square meters.

What is the most significant event tied to the cemetery during the Second World War? In January 1945, women prisoners who died during an evacuation transport from Auschwitz were buried here.

Can you visit the cemetery grounds? The site is usually locked, but keys can sometimes be borrowed from the municipal office, housed in the former synagogue building.