Old Jewish cemetery in Švihov

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Švihov ranks among the most valuable pieces of Jewish heritage in western Bohemia, tucked away on the eastern edge of the small town, along Na Vodou street, right before a railway viaduct and just across the I/27 highway that links Plzeň with Klatovy. The plot itself measures barely 1,381 square metres, yet it holds around 140 gravestones that have made it a magnet for historians and lovers of sepulchral art alike.

When was the cemetery founded?

The cemetery dates back to 1644 and served the local Jewish community as its principal burial ground for nearly three centuries. It was last expanded in 1828, once the number of graves outgrew the original plot. Burials continued here until 1913, when a new Jewish cemetery, founded in 1878 and situated roughly 150 metres to the east, took over as the main site of interment.

Why did Švihov have such a large Jewish community?

Jews had settled in Švihov as early as the mid-16th century, and from the second half of that century the town grew into an important centre of Jewish life for a wide surrounding area. A grand synagogue was built here in 1783, official registries were kept locally, and the town's Jewish school drew children from as many as thirty-one nearby villages. It was this sizeable, well-established community that allowed the cemetery to grow to a scale unusual for such a small provincial town.

What can visitors see at the cemetery?

Roughly 140 tombstones survive on the site, forming a remarkably valuable collection of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical funerary art. The oldest markers date back to the cemetery's founding in the mid-17th century, while the youngest carry the date 1913. Among them, Baroque tombstones bearing Hebrew inscriptions stand out for their unusual decorative motifs, including carved deer. The stones themselves vary widely in material and style: alongside smoothly polished, finely inscribed slabs there are stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, and multi-stone family monuments, some still showing traces of old paintwork.

Who takes care of the cemetery today?

The site is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. It remains the property of the Jewish community of Plzeň, which funds its ongoing upkeep. A key chapter in its recent history was a thorough restoration carried out in 1990–1991, involving both local non-Jewish residents and national Jewish organisations — a joint effort that helped save the cemetery from further deterioration.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Old Jewish Cemetery in Švihov be visited? Yes, the site is accessible as a protected cultural monument, though as a burial ground it calls for quiet and respectful behaviour.

How does the old cemetery differ from the new Jewish cemetery in Švihov? The old cemetery was in use from 1644 to 1913, while the new one, founded in 1878 about 150 metres away, took over as the community's main burial site once the older grounds were full.

Why are the tombstones so varied in style? The cemetery was in continuous use for nearly three centuries, from the 17th century to the early 20th, so its stones reflect several successive periods of changing materials, craftsmanship and burial customs.

Who currently maintains the cemetery? The Jewish community of Plzeň owns and maintains the site; in the past, local residents and Jewish organisations also took part in saving it through a restoration carried out around 1990–1991.