Jewish cemetery in Velhartice

The Jewish cemetery in Velhartice is a historic burial ground on the edge of a forest southwest of the village of Velhartice in the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic. Founded in the mid-19th century, it served the local Jewish community for nearly a hundred years and is now protected as a cultural monument.

How to get there?

The cemetery sits in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot near a cluster of holiday cottages, across the Ostružná stream from the village centre. The most recognisable landmark in Velhartice is its Gothic castle, famous for the covered wooden bridge linking the palace wing to the residential tower — and it's at the castle ticket office that visitors can borrow the key to the cemetery gate, since the site is not permanently open to the public. It's worth checking opening hours in advance and planning the short walk across the stream before setting out.

What will you see?

Around 59 classicist tombstones (matzevot) survive on the grounds, the youngest dating from 1934. Their plain, geometric shapes with little ornamentation are typical of Jewish cemeteries established in 19th-century Bohemia. Two brick pillars also remain standing — the only trace of a former covered mortuary (ceremonial hall) that once stood on the site but has since disappeared.

One of the most moving features is a memorial erected in 1948, inscribed with the names of local Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation. It stands as a modest but powerful reminder of a community that was almost entirely wiped out from the region during the Second World War — the last burial at the cemetery took place in 1941, during the war itself, after which the site ceased to serve its original purpose.

History and preservation

The cemetery was established in 1858 to serve the Jewish community connected to the surrounding villages of the Šumava foothills. Following the destruction of that community during the Holocaust, the site spent decades in neglect, exposed to the same slow natural decay that affected many similar cemeteries across postwar Czechoslovakia.

Since 2006, the cemetery has undergone gradual restoration under the care of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, which formally administers the site. This ongoing work has helped stabilise a number of tombstones and slow the site's deterioration. The cemetery is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, granting it legal protection, though its status as a memorial site and the need to guard against vandalism mean access remains restricted and must be arranged in advance.

When to visit?

Spring and summer are the best times to visit, when the grounds are better maintained and longer daylight hours make it easier to reach the site and collect the key during the castle ticket office's opening hours. In autumn and winter, the walk through the forest across the Ostružná can be more difficult, and key availability may be more limited. Many visitors combine the trip with a tour of Velhartice Castle itself, pairing the site's 19th-century Jewish heritage with the castle's medieval history in one visit to this corner of the Šumava region.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Jewish cemetery in Velhartice founded? It was established in 1858 and remained in use until 1941, when the last burial took place.

How many tombstones have survived? About 59 classicist matzevot remain, the youngest from 1934, along with two pillars left from the former mortuary hall.

Is the cemetery open to the public? No, the gate is kept locked; the key can be borrowed at the nearby Velhartice Castle ticket office.

Who is responsible for the cemetery today? It is administered by the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, and it has been under gradual restoration since 2006.