Jewish cemetery in Turnov

The Jewish cemetery in Turnov stands as one of the best-preserved sites of its kind in the Semily district, bearing witness to centuries of Jewish life in this Czech town at the edge of the Bohemian Paradise.

How did this burial ground come to be?

Jewish settlement in Turnov can be traced back to before 1526, but it was only in 1625 that Albrecht von Wallenstein, then the local landowner, purchased the plot on which the cemetery was established. The decision came as the town's Jewish community grew and needed a dedicated burial place outside the town limits, following the customs of the time. The oldest surviving tombstone dates back to 1649, making the Turnov cemetery one of the more significant remaining traces of Jewish presence in this part of Bohemia.

How did the cemetery evolve over the centuries?

The burial ground was enlarged twice over its history as the local Jewish community continued to grow. In 1800, a ceremonial house was built on the grounds — a feature typical of Jewish cemeteries of this kind across the Czech lands. Inscriptions on the oldest tombstones are exclusively in Hebrew, while from the 19th century onward, German and Czech texts begin to appear as well, reflecting the gradual integration of the local Jewish community with its surroundings.

The last burial took place here in 1956, well after the Second World War had dramatically and permanently disrupted the continuity of Turnov's Jewish community.

What remains to be seen today?

Today the cemetery covers a smaller area than it once did, since a section of it was cut through in 1987–1991 by an overpass built for the expressway heading toward Jičín — a project that had been planned since the late 1970s. Despite this intrusion, the preserved part of the cemetery, containing several hundred tombstones, remains one of the most valuable Jewish heritage sites in the Semily district.

Why is this place worth a visit?

The cemetery holds particular significance for research into Czech Jewish history: a project run by Leiden University has documented and translated the inscriptions on 568 tombstones, piecing together the stories of many Turnov Jewish families across generations. For visitors to Turnov — a town best known for its gem-cutting tradition and proximity to the Bohemian Paradise — the cemetery offers a quieter, less obvious stop that reveals the town's multicultural past.

Frequently asked questions

Can the cemetery be visited independently? The site lies within the town and is accessible to visitors, though as an active burial ground it calls for appropriate respect and quiet.

How old is the oldest tombstone? The oldest surviving tombstone dates from 1649, less than a quarter century after the land was purchased for the cemetery.

Is the cemetery still in use? No — the last recorded burial took place in 1956, and the site now functions as a historical monument.

What happened to part of the cemetery? Between 1987 and 1991, an overpass for the expressway toward Jičín was built across a section of the grounds, permanently altering the layout of the burial ground.