Alternate names: Habry [Cz], Habern [Ger]. 49°45' N, 15°29' E. 51 miles ESE of Praha (Prague), 25 miles S of Jihlava (Iglau). 1930 Jewish population: 26.
website in Czech with photo: landmarked and freely accessible "The cemetery is located 1 km NW from the square near the pond and accessible by a paved road. Documented in the first half of the 17th century, about 250 visible gravestones date from 1740 to 1935. The stone entry is located in the SW corner of the graveyard with part of the surrounding stone wall fallen. During the 1990s, the cemetery area vegetation was cleared. Maintenance is provided by the cemetery. In the future irepair of damaged wall and re-erecting fallen gravestones or restoration of tombstones from the 18th and 19 century are needed." [September 2011]
town images [February 2009]
used cemetery at Golčŭv Jeníkov of which town is now a part. [February 2009]
cemetery photo [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000334:Alternate name: Habern in German. Habry is located in the Bohemia, Havlickuv Brod region at 49°45' N, 15°29' E , about 35 km SW of Pardubice, 51 miles ESE of Praha (Prague), 25 miles S of Jihlava (Iglau).. The cemetery is located 1200 meters NW of the square. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Mestsky Urad, 582 81 Habry, mayor: tel. 0451/932-12, vice-mayor: tel. 0451/912-17.
- Regional: (1) Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, Staflova 2003, 580 01 Havlickuv Brod; tel. 0451/327 (2) Zidovska Nabozenska Obec v Praze, (Director: Engineer Mojmir Maly), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25; and (3) Pamatkovy Ustav Vychodnich Cech (Director: Engineer Skalova), Zamek 4, 530 02 Pardubice; tel. 04/51-60-21.
- Interested: (1) Statni Zidovske Museum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85; (2) Okresni Muzeum, Namesit 56, 580 04 Havlickuv Brod; tel. 0451/4101; and (3) local historian: Josef Mendl, 582 81 Habry 275.
- Caretaker: Vicemayor Karel Holy, 582 81 Habry 294; tel. (home) 0451/912-60.
Earliest known Jewish community was first half of the 17th century. 1930 Jewish population was 26 with peak Jewish population of about 300 Jews in the mid-19th century. The independent congregation disbanded around 1898, but the synagogue was used until the 1930s. Czechoslovak minister and noted editor Adolf Stransky (1855-1931) lived here. The landmarked Jewish cemetery originated in the 17th century with last known Conservative Jewish burial probably around 1939. The isolated flat rural site by water has no sign or marker. Reached off a public road, access is open to all via a broken masonry wall without gate. The size of the cemetery before WWII and now is 0.2473 ha.
100-500 gravestones, not in location with about 25%-50% toppled or broken. The cemetery is not divided into special sections. Tombstones date from 1740 through 20th century. The marble and granite flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, or multi-stone monuments have inscriptions in Hebrew, German and Czech. Within the limits of the cemetery is a pre-burial house ruin. Praha Jewish community owns the property now used as a Jewish cemetery. A pond and some agricultural property are adjacent. Rarely, private visitors visit the cemetery. Vandalism occurred from 1945 to now. Praha Jewish Congregation pays the caretaker. Security is a serious threat because of the secluded spot. Serious threat is vandalism, moderate is weather erosion, and slight is incompatible nearby developments (existing, planned, proposed). Vegetation overgrowth is a seasonal problem, preventing access.
Vlastmila Hamackova, Zabelska 37, 312 15 Plzen; tel. Office 02/231-06-34 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on August 26, 1992. Documentation: (1) notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha (2) census recordsof 1724 and 1930; (3) Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens, 1934; (4) Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries of Bohemia and Moravia, 1980; and (5) letter of J. Mendl, 1985. Other documentation exists, but was too general and inaccessible (records are in the archives of the Jewish congregation in Praha). V. Hamackova visited site in 1990.