Jewish cemetery in Uherské Hradiště

The Jewish cemetery in Uherské Hradiště survives today mainly as a memorial park holding a monument to Holocaust victims, located in the Sady district about 1.5 km southeast of the city centre, on Větrná street near třída Maršála Malinovského.

When did a Jewish burial ground first appear in the city?

Traces of Jewish settlement in Uherské Hradiště likely go back to the early 14th century, but for a long time the local community had no burial ground of its own — the dead were carried around 20 km away to Uherský Brod. It was only in 1429 that the town authorities set aside a cemetery for the Jewish community north of the town, between the fortifications and the bed of the Morava river. That earliest cemetery ceased to exist as soon as 1514, when Jews were expelled from the town, and baroque fortifications were eventually built over the site.

How was the newer cemetery established?

The cemetery known today was founded in 1879 and consecrated two years later, in 1881. It was enlarged in 1917, reflecting the growth of the local Jewish community. By 1940 it held a total of 377 granite gravestones of a modern type, arranged in rows following the contour of the land, bearing Czech and German inscriptions and modestly decorated.

What happened to it during the Second World War?

On the evening of 22 June 1941, the day Germany attacked the Soviet Union, local Nazis, inflamed by the invasion, vandalized the synagogue and damaged the cemetery. In early 1942, 350 Jewish residents of Uherské Hradiště were moved to a collection ghetto in Uherský Brod, from where they were deported in January 1943 to Terezín and onward to extermination camps. In 1943 the gravestones themselves were sold off; some are said to have later been used to pave roads and a pond in the nearby town of Staré Město.

What remains to see today?

After 1945 the site of the former cemetery was turned into a park, with a monument erected to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. That monument, rather than any surviving gravestones, is now the main point of reference for visitors. The park serves as a quiet place of reflection, marking the centuries-long — and then violently interrupted — presence of a Jewish community in the city.

Frequently asked questions

Are any original gravestones still standing at the site? No — most of the gravestones were sold off in 1943, and after the war the area was turned into a park with a Holocaust memorial.

Where exactly is this site located? In the Sady district, about 1.5 km southeast of the centre of Uherské Hradiště, on Větrná street near třída Maršála Malinovského.

Was this the city's first Jewish cemetery? No — an earlier cemetery existed between 1429 and 1514 in a different location, between the town walls and the Morava riverbed, and was abolished after Jews were expelled from the town.

What happened to the city's Jewish community during the war? In 1942 residents were moved to a ghetto in Uherský Brod, and in 1943 they were deported to Terezín and then to extermination camps.