Alternate name: Cz. Chodová Planá, Ger. Kuttenplan in western Bohemia. Jews lived there and nearby from 1570 with an organized community from. 1620. A synagogue is mentioned in 1645. In 1681, Abraham Lichtenstadt succeeded in having an expulsion threat canceled. Abraham Broda was rabbi between 1690 and 1693. In 1733 the Jewish quarter was spared during a town fire. 22 families lived there in 1736. A baroque synagogue was built in 1759. 32 families occupied twelve houses in 1767. The community pinkas compiled in 1756 was published by S. Ochser in 1910. Count Cajetan of Berchem-Haimhausen (1795–1863), unusually friendly and helpful to the Jews, in 1843 to ensure endowed employment of a rabbi "of a modern school of thought with opinions on reform suited to our age but not in conflict with the laws of the country." In 1861, he also endowed a fund for the Jewish poor. A memorial tablet to the Haimhausen family was placed in the synagogue. A new cemetery was established in 1890. Jewish population: 35 families in 1818, 230 in 1910, and 3 in 1932 with 18 in nearby Plana. Prominent Jews: The Hoenigsberg family. R.Joseph Breslau, and renegade Johann Emanyel Veith. Jews of nearby Drmoul (Duerrmaul) with an 1801 baroque synagogue and an ancient cemetery.developed the spa amenities of Marienbad (Mariánské Láznē) and were founders of the Marienbad community. About 100 Jews living in Drmoul in 1896 and 48 in 1931. The Jews left in 1938. The Nazis burned the synagogue in 1938. [February 2009]
REFERENCES
MGJV, 13 (1910), 32–38, 57–89
M. Grunwald, in: MGWJ, 71 (1927), 419–25
A. Grotte, Deutsche, boehmische und polnische Synagogentypen (1915), index; N. Fryd, Vzorek bez ceny a pan biskup (1967)
Bondy-Dworský, 2 (1906), 684
Encyclopaedia Judaica
Z. ha-Levy Hurwitz, in: Oẓar ha-Ḥayyim, 13 (1937), 60–62.
US Commission No. CZCE000005
Alternate name: Kuttenplan in German. Chodova Plana is located in Bohemia, Tachov at 49º03' 12º04', 47 km WNW of Plzen. The old cemetery is located at 400 m SW. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Obecni urad, 348 13 Chodova Plana.
- Regional: Okresni urad, odbor kultury, 347 01 Tachov.
- Interested: Engineer Richard Svandrlik, VUB, Ruska 487, 353 57 Marianske Lazne.
- Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, Smetanovy sady 5, 301 37 Plzen, and Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1.
Earliest known Jewish community was 1645. 1930 Jewish population was 14. Jews moved to big towns in second half of 19th century. Charles S. Kuh (died 1871, Beaufort, S. Carolina), vice-president of the United Brothers of New York, lived here. The Jewish cemetery originated probably in 17th century with last known Conservative Jewish burial probably in 1889-1890. Commission Plana (Ger.: Plan) 3 km away used cemetery. The isolated flat rural (agricultural) land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a broken masonry wall without gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 1300 sq. m ha.
100-500 stones, most in original location, date from probably the 17th century. The granite and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew and German inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. The present owner of the cemetery property is Zidovska Nabozenska Obec Plzen Jewish community. The property now is used only as a Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are recreational and agricultural. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred probably prior to World War II, during World War II, occasionally 1945-1991 with no maintenance. Serious threat: vandalism. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and weather erosion. Slight threat: pollution, vegetation and existing nearby development.
Jiri Fiedler, z"l completed survey on 13th Nov. 1991 using Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens.. (1934), Jan Herman: Zidovske hrbitovy v Cechach a na Morave (1980), census 1930. The site was not visited.
CHODOVA PLANA (II): US Commission No. CE00000002
The Jewish cemetery originated in 1890 with last known Conservative Jewish burial in 1930s. Commission Plana (German: Plan) 3 km used this cemetery. The flat agricultural suburban location, separate but near cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a continuous masonry wall without gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is about 40x60 m ha.
100-500 stones, most in original location, date from 19th century. The marble and granite flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew and German inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. Plzen Zidovska Nabozenska Obec owns Jewish cemetery property. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred probably prior to World War II (1938 by Nazis), during World War II, occasionally 1945-1991 with no maintenance. Serious threat: vandalism. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and proposed nearby development.
Jiri Fiedler, z"l completed survey on 13th Nov. 1991 using Jewish Annual from 1893-94, Census 1930. The site was not visited.