"A reminder........." Jewish Cemetery Tip by leics

....if one is needed, of what European Jewish ghettoes were about.

The first recorded pogrom here took place in 1096, and Jews were first sent to the area known as Josefov during the twelfth century. Later, the ghetto was walled off. Centuries passed, and more pogroms occurred, but the late 19th century Jews who could afford to were able to move out. In their place came gypsies, the poor, prostitutes and so on, although some Jewish families remained.

In use from the fifteenth century until 1787, around 100 000 are buried there because that was how it had to be; Jews were buried within the ghetto. Soil was brought in so that they could be properly buried; that's why the cemetery appears to have a hill in the middle. The graves are up to twelve layers deep.

It makes a strong impact, this overcrowded space. Look at the gravestones.........these were beloved people, the designs on some gravestones telling of names or occupations. Their overcrowding in death ironically reflects their overcrowding in life.

Some graves have stones placed on them for remembrance, one or two (Rabbi Low, Mordechai Maisel) are larger and clearly mark the place of an important man.

But all were human beings, and it behoves us to remember that.

The cemetery is accessed via the Pinkasova synagogue. A ticket (which covers all buildings in what is known as the 'Jewish Museum' apart from the Old/New Synagogue) costs 300Kc.

Address: Stary zidovsky hrbitov, Josefov.
Directions: Josefov; easily walkable from the Old Town Square. Straight down Parizska, then turn left down Siroka.
Phone: +420-224 819 456
Website: http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/