Jewish cemetery in Trhový Štěpánov

The Jewish cemetery in Trhový Štěpánov stands as the sole surviving trace of the local Jewish community in this small town in the Benešov District of Central Bohemia. The burial ground sits on a hill behind the town, roughly 200 meters from road 127, just past a railway crossing. While documented records of the cemetery date back to the 17th century, its origins likely reach further, with the earliest reference to the land itself linked to the year 1434.

How long did the Jewish community exist here?

Trhový Štěpánov was home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Vlašim region. The community persisted here for centuries, and the cemetery served as its burial site until 1943, when the local Jewish presence was violently disrupted during the wartime occupation. The synagogue, which once stood near the town square amid a cluster of Jewish houses, was demolished before 1950 — leaving the cemetery as the only physical remnant of Jewish life in the town.

What can visitors see at the cemetery?

Around 300 tombstones have survived on the grounds, including several valuable examples of Baroque funerary art. The oldest preserved tombstone dates from 1711, though some accounts suggest individual stelae may be as old as 300 years. The cemetery has an elongated layout, with entrances on both the western and eastern sides, a design that historically facilitated burials in accordance with Jewish tradition.

Why are there tombstones from another town here?

After 1969, a number of tombstones were relocated to Trhový Štěpánov from the destroyed and flooded Jewish cemetery in Dolní Kralovice. That town, like several others in the region, was affected by postwar landscape changes — including the construction of water reservoirs that threatened surviving monuments there. Moving the tombstones was a way to preserve them by incorporating them into the already-existing cemetery complex.

Is the cemetery legally protected?

Yes. Since May 3, 1958, the Jewish cemetery in Trhový Štěpánov has been listed as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This status helped shield the site from further decay, and a restoration carried out in the 1980s preserved much of its historical fabric to the present day.

How to get there and what to know before visiting?

The cemetery lies off the beaten path, on a hillside behind the town, about 200 meters from road 127, reached past a railway crossing. It is a quiet, secluded site, visited mainly by those interested in the Jewish history of the Vlašim region and admirers of funerary stonework. Comfortable footwear is recommended, as the approach crosses semi-rural terrain and a slope.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the cemetery? Documentation dates back to the 17th century, but the land itself is linked to the year 1434.

Until when was it used? Burials took place here until 1943.

How many tombstones remain? About 300 stelae survive, including valuable Baroque-era examples, with the oldest preserved tombstone dating from 1711.

Does the town still have a synagogue? No — it was demolished before 1950. The cemetery is the only surviving reminder of the Jewish community that once lived in Trhový Štěpánov.