Jewish cemetery in Sokolov

The Jewish cemetery in Sokolov is a small, largely ruined burial ground that stands as one of the few remaining traces of a Jewish community once present in this town in western Bohemia since the 17th century. The cemetery sits next to the town's municipal cemetery, above the road leading toward Staré Sedlo, not far from Sokolov's old main square.

When was the cemetery established?

The cemetery was founded in 1878, during a period when the local Jewish community was growing steadily. Jewish presence in Sokolov is first documented in the mid-17th century, when more than 20 Jewish families lived in the town. After 1848, when legal restrictions on Jewish settlement were lifted across the Habsburg lands, the community expanded further, reaching its peak around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries with close to 250 people identifying as Jewish.

What happened to the synagogue and the community?

In 1897 the community built an imposing synagogue, a sign of its wealth and size at the time. The building did not survive the Nazi era — it was destroyed during Kristallnacht in November 1938. By then the Jewish population of Sokolov was already shrinking sharply, falling from around 170 residents in 1930 to just 55 in 1938. Most of the remaining community left after the Munich Agreement was signed in September 1938, and those who stayed were deported during the German occupation in 1942.

What does the cemetery look like today?

The site was damaged during the war years, but the most severe destruction came later, in the 1960s, when the majority of gravestones were removed or buried in a pit dug on the grounds. As a result, very little of the original cemetery furnishings survive. Visitors today can see remnants of the perimeter wall topped with a stone crown, traces of the former entrance gate, and a scattering of pedestals and fallen tombstone fragments. Portions of the cladding from larger family tombs still remain along parts of the surrounding wall.

Is it worth visiting?

This is not a conventional tourist attraction — there are no guides, information panels, or organized tours here. It is instead a quiet, reflective stop for visitors interested in the history of Jewish communities in the Czech lands and in the fate of smaller provincial congregations that were wiped out by the Holocaust. Because it remains a burial site despite its ruined state, visitors are expected to behave respectfully and keep noise to a minimum.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Jewish cemetery in Sokolov founded? In 1878.

What happened to the gravestones? The cemetery was damaged during the war, and in the 1960s most tombstones were removed or buried, leaving only fragments and pedestals.

Did Sokolov have a synagogue? Yes, it was built in 1897 and destroyed during Kristallnacht in 1938.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? Next to Sokolov's municipal cemetery, along the road leading toward Staré Sedlo.