Jewish cemetery in Stráž u Tachova

The Jewish cemetery in Stráž u Tachova ranks among the oldest Jewish heritage sites in the Czech Republic and is the oldest of its kind in the Tachov region. Jewish settlement in Stráž is among the earliest documented in the country: a 1331 charter issued by King John of Luxembourg confirms it, recording that the king renounced tax revenues collected from the local Jewish community in favor of the town. Oral tradition holds that a cemetery already existed at that time, though written records only confirm its presence from 1450 onward.

Why does this cemetery matter so much?

The burial ground in Stráž did not serve the local community alone — Jews from surrounding villages, including Olešná, Bor, Přimda, and Bělá nad Radbuzou, were also laid to rest here. This regional role illustrates how significant a center of religious life the small town of Stráž once was. The cemetery was enlarged several times over the centuries, most recently in 1860, and by the eve of World War II it already held several hundred tombstones. Given its centuries-long history and surviving gravestones dating to the 15th century, the site has been designated a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

What can visitors see there today?

A distinctive feature of the cemetery is the separate rows of graves reserved for Kohanim and Levites — descendants of the priestly and assisting classes in Jewish tradition. Their tombstones bear symbolic carvings: hands raised in a blessing gesture for the Kohanim, and pitchers referencing the Levites' role in ritually washing the priests' hands. Other gravestones display reliefs of deer, geese, roses, wolves, and further symbolic motifs tied to the names or characteristics of the deceased. The oldest surviving tombstones date to the 14th and 15th centuries, making this one of the most valuable testimonies to Jewish settlement in the region.

How has the cemetery survived to the present day?

Despite the turbulent history of the borderland — the destruction of the local Jewish community during World War II and the later upheavals along the Czech-German border — the cemetery has survived as a record of centuries of Jewish presence in Stráž. In recent years, local organizations such as TAMUS, active in the Tachov region, have carried out documentation and conservation work, cataloguing the surviving tombstones and installing information panels that help visitors understand the site's history.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Jewish cemetery in Stráž founded? Tradition places its origins in the 14th century, but written records confirm its existence only from 1450 onward.

How many tombstones are there in the cemetery? Before World War II, the cemetery held several hundred tombstones, with the oldest dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

Had Jews lived in Stráž for a long time? Yes, Jewish settlement in Stráž is among the oldest documented in the Czech Republic, confirmed by a royal charter as early as 1331.

Is the cemetery legally protected? Yes, it is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic due to its historical and artistic value.

Who was buried in this cemetery? Not only residents of Stráž, but also Jews from surrounding villages: Olešná, Bor, Přimda, and Bělá nad Radbuzou.