Jewish cemetery in Puclice

The Jewish cemetery in Puclice is one of the best-preserved sites of its kind in the Domažlice district, tucked away at the edge of a forest in western Bohemia. The burial ground lies roughly 1–2 km southwest of the village center, reached by a field path running alongside the road connecting Křenovy and Puclice. Surrounded by woodland and set apart from any modern development, the cemetery has retained a quiet, somewhat hidden atmosphere that appeals to visitors seeking lesser-known traces of the region's Jewish history.

When was the cemetery founded?

Historians date the cemetery's founding to around 1750, although the first Jewish residents of Puclice are recorded as early as 1724. Over time the grounds were expanded and enclosed by a tall wall, which also incorporates a mortuary building erected near the entrance gate. Today the site covers nearly 2,000 square meters and holds several hundred gravestones.

Whose graves are here?

The cemetery served not only the Jewish residents of Puclice itself but the wider region, holding graves of community members from Horšovský Týn and Staňkov as well. In the first half of the 19th century, ten Jewish families lived in Puclice; after 1850 several families resettled in the neighboring town of Staňkov, where a joint congregation known as "Puclice-Staňkov" was formed, its seat later moving to Staňkov toward the end of the century. The independent Puclice congregation formally dissolved between 1892 and 1893, and the last Jewish family recorded in the village dates to 1932. Burials nonetheless continued afterward — the last legible gravestone bears the date 1942.

What does the cemetery look like today?

The Puclice burial ground is considered one of the best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in the entire Domažlice district. Its gravestones have recently undergone thorough cleaning, allowing inscriptions and decorative carvings to be appreciated in full detail. The tall enclosing wall and the historic mortuary near the gate add further historical texture rarely found in such good condition at rural Jewish cemeteries in the region.

How can visitors get there?

The cemetery lies off the main tourist routes, so reaching it on foot or by bicycle is the most practical option — the field path from Křenovy offers the most direct approach. In nearby Staňkov, the key to the gated cemetery can be obtained at Penzion KOZA (Vránov 3, Staňkov).

Frequently asked questions

Is the cemetery open to the public? The grounds are enclosed by a wall, and the gate key is available from a nearby guesthouse in Staňkov.

How many gravestones remain? The cemetery covers almost 2,000 square meters and contains several hundred surviving gravestones.

Where did the people buried here come from? Mostly from the Jewish communities of Puclice, Horšovský Týn, and Staňkov.

When was the last burial? The most recent legible gravestone is dated 1942.

Is the site part of any broader Jewish heritage events? Yes, it is occasionally included in the annual Day of Jewish Monuments in the Czech Republic, which promotes visits to synagogues and cemeteries nationwide.