New Jewish Cemetery in Chodová Planá

The New Jewish Cemetery in Chodová Planá stands as one of the last physical witnesses to the centuries-long presence of a Jewish community in this small village in the Tachov region of western Bohemia. It was established around 1890–1891 to supplement a much older Jewish cemetery in the village, which dated back to the 17th century and had gradually run out of space for the growing local community.

How far back does the Jewish presence in Chodová Planá go?

Jewish settlement in Chodová Planá likely began at the end of the 16th century, with an organized community documented from 1620 onward. A synagogue is first recorded in 1645, alongside an already-existing cemetery that today still holds several hundred graves. By the mid-18th century, around twenty Jewish families lived in the village, and in 1759 a masonry Baroque synagogue was built, a clear sign of a well-established and confident community.

What role did the Berchem family play?

During the 19th century, the local Jewish community enjoyed the protection and patronage of Count Kajetán of Berchem-Haimhausen (1795–1863), who owned the local estate. This support allowed the community to employ a full-time rabbi and to develop its own social and cultural institutions. As a result, the Jewish population grew steadily through the century, at one point reaching roughly 230 people — a substantial number for a village of this size.

Why was a new cemetery needed?

The older cemetery, tucked into the hilly terrain of the extensive castle park, eventually became too small for the expanding community. The new cemetery was founded at the far edge of the village around 1890–1891, away from the main built-up area. From that point on, it served as the primary burial ground for the local Jewish community, with burials continuing there for decades afterward.

What can visitors see at the cemetery today?

The New Jewish Cemetery preserves a number of artistically significant tombstones. Among the names associated with the monuments are sculptors Jan Štursa, Čeněk Vosmík, and Václav Vokálek, along with architectural designs attributed to figures such as Jan Kotěra, Josef Fanta, L. Ehrmann, and Albert Kopetzký — names well known in Czech art and architecture at the turn of the 20th century. This gives the site historical as well as artistic significance.

What happened to the Jewish community and its synagogue?

The Baroque synagogue built in 1759, despite its historical importance, was demolished during the 20th century, erasing another physical trace of the long Jewish presence in the village. Today, the two cemeteries — the older one hidden within the castle park's hills, and the newer one at the village's edge — remain the only surviving witnesses to this history.

How has the cemetery been cared for since 1990?

After 1990, partial restoration work was carried out at the cemetery with financial support from the American Synagogue Memorial foundation, helping to halt further deterioration and protect the surviving tombstones. In March 2019, the Tachov Archive and Museum Society, with assistance from the Prague Jewish community and the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, installed information panels at the site to help visitors understand the history of the local Jewish community.

Frequently asked questions

When was the New Jewish Cemetery in Chodová Planá established? It was founded around 1890–1891, to supplement the older Jewish cemetery that had existed in the village since the 17th century.

Are burials still held at the cemetery today? Yes, according to available information burials still occasionally take place there, though on a far smaller scale than in the past.

Who designed the tombstones at the cemetery? Tombstones are attributed to sculptors Jan Štursa, Čeněk Vosmík, and Václav Vokálek, and to architects including Jan Kotěra, Josef Fanta, L. Ehrmann, and Albert Kopetzký.

Did the local synagogue survive? No, the Baroque synagogue built in 1759 was demolished during the 20th century and no longer exists.

Who manages the cemetery today? The cemetery has undergone restoration supported by the American Synagogue Memorial foundation, and the local municipality of Chodová Planá has made decisions about its ongoing management, including its transfer to the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic.