Jewish cemetery in Třešť

The Jewish cemetery in Třešť is one of the larger and better-preserved sites of its kind in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. It sits on an isolated hillside on the southern edge of town, along the road leading toward Telč.

When was the cemetery founded?

Jewish presence in Třešť goes back to the 13th century, when Rabbi Jacob of Třešť is first mentioned in records. An organized Jewish community, however, only took shape in the mid-17th century, and it was in the second half of that century that the cemetery itself was established. An agreement between the town and the Jewish community over the cemetery grounds dates from 1736–1739, and the site was later enlarged twice, in 1736 and 1836, as the number of burials grew.

How large is the cemetery and how many tombstones survive?

The cemetery covers roughly 3,615 square meters, making it a sizeable burial ground by regional standards. Somewhere between 1,200 and 1,300 tombstones survive, carved from granite, sandstone and marble in Baroque and Neoclassical styles. The oldest surviving stone dates to 1705 and marks the grave of Rachel, daughter of Gershon. The site is listed as a protected monument under registration number 7109 S.M.

Who is buried here?

Notable burials include rabbis Joseph Frankfurter (d. 1880) and Maximilian L. Stern (d. 1908), along with factory owners Berthold Münch (d. 1915) and Moritz Meissner (d. 1904) — members of the Jewish industrialist families who played a major role in the town's economic growth during the 19th century. A mortuary chapel dating from around the mid-19th century still stands on the grounds.

How did the Jewish community in Třešť change over time?

Třešť had been a non-royal town with a sizeable Jewish minority since the 15th century, and local Jewish industrialists were central to its development in the 19th century. The community's numbers fell sharply, however, from 621 people in 1845 to just 64 by 1930. Most of those who remained fell victim to the Holocaust during the Second World War, which effectively ended the town's Jewish community. The last known burial following traditional ritual took place before 1942.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? On the southern edge of Třešť, along the road toward Telč, on a hillside set apart from the town center.

How many tombstones remain today? Estimates put the number at around 1,200 to 1,300 surviving tombstones, most dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Can visitors walk through the cemetery on their own? As a historic Jewish burial ground, the site can be visited, but as with any cemetery, visitors should treat the grounds respectfully and check local access rules before going.

What makes this cemetery stand out among others in the region? Its large size, the sheer number of surviving tombstones, and the graves of notable rabbis and industrialists make it one of the more significant testimonies to Jewish history in Moravia.