Alternate names: Janovice nad Úhlavou [Cz], Janowitz [Ger], Janowitz an der Angel, Janovice. 49°21' N, 13°13' E, 28 miles SSW of Plzeň (Pilsen), 5 miles SW of Klatovy. 1891 Jewish population: 61. JewishGen Austria-Czech SIG
KehillaLink. [Mar 2013]
website in Czech with photo: landmarked and freely accessible. "Jewish settlement is documented from the 15th century to the 18th century with perhaps one Jewish family during the 17th century. Jews were expelled from seven houses in the town hall, which got the rent. Larger Jewish community with a prayer (later synagogue) dates from the first quarter of the 18th century. The birthplace of a music critic and historian Ernst Rychnowskeho (1879-1934). There was a separate closed ghetto. Most Jewish homes were in the street SE from the square:3 Jewish houses in 1727, 5 Jewish homes and synagogue in 1837. From the second half of the 18th century Jews lived in many rental houses. After 1850 they began to acquire property. High Baroque style synagogue is located about 150 m SE of the square. Dating after 1723, built on the east side of the "Jewish street". The synagogue has Baroque windows and an arcade / female galleries and polygonal brick middle and bears some architectural resemblance to the local parish church, apparently the work of the same local builder. Probably used until the mid 1930s, 50 years after saw radical transformation to the seat of the fire department, its external stylistic elements removed. The prayer hall ceiling was divided into two floors, with only poriginal vaults with stucco decoration, arches and arcades staircase women's gallery left. On the south side of the building adjoining the synagogue was a Jewish school, now converted for residential purposes. The Jewish cemetery is located about 2 km SW f the city, near the main road leading from Nýrsko to its peak. Reportedly founded 1723. the 1515 m2 site has 269 visible tombstones, the oldest from 1705. There is also a Holocaust memorial. In this cemetery are many valuable Baroque and Classicist tombstones of the South Bohemian type made of white limestone and decorated with folk motifs. Baroque tombstones are typologically identical with tombstones from Volhynia." [Sep 2011]
US Commission No CZCE000094:
Alternate names: (German) Janowitz an der Angel. Town is in Bohemia, Klatovy at 49º21 13º13, 7 km SW of Klatovy and 44 km SSW of Plzen. Cemetery: 2.5 km SW of town. Present population is 1000-5000 with no Jews.
- Town: Mestsky Urad, 340 21 Janovice nad Uhlavou.
- Regional: 1. Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, 339 01 Klatovy and 2. Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, Smetanovy sady 5, 301 37 Plzen; tel. 019/357-49.
- Interested: 1. Okresni Muzeum, Hostasova 1/IV, 339 01 Klatovy; tel. 0186/2309 and 2. Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1, 02/231-07-85 and 02/231-06-34.
- Key: Mestsky Urad, referat vystavby at 340 21 Janovice nad Uhlavou. Caretaker: Mr. Dvorsky, 3401 21 Janovice nad Uhlavou dp. 74.
Earliest known Jewish community dates from probably first half of the 18th century. 1930 Jewish population was 15. Jews moved to big towns in second half of 19th century. Birthplace of music critic and historian Ernst Rychnowski (1879-1934.) Jewish cemetery allegedly originated in 1723 but a stone is legible from 1705 with last known Conservative Jewish burial before 1943. Dlazov, (Ger: Glosau) and Beharov (Ger: Wihorschau), both 4 km away, used this landmarked cemetery (#4303). The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside has Czech sign mentioning the year of establishment of cemetery. Reached by crossing private fields, access is open with permission via a continuous masonry wall and locking gate. Size of cemetery before and after WWII: 0.1384 ha. 100-500 gravestones, 1-20 not in original locations and less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 1705-20th century. Some stones removed from the cemetery are in a museum of conservation. The cemetery is divided into special sections: old and new. The marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German, and Czech inscriptions. Some have portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims but no known mass graves. Plzen Jewish community owns Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred between 1945 and ten years. The military command re-erected stones, cleared vegetation, and fixed wall and gate in 1991. Current care: occasional clearing or cleaning by individuals. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Security (uncontrolled access) and weather erosion are slight threats. Vegetation overgrowth seasonally prevents access. Vandalism is a moderate threat.
Marketz Cibulkova, Serikova 20, 317 05 Plzen; tel. 019/416-87; 2. Rudol Lowy, Jesenicka 33, 323 23 Plzen; tel. 019/52-06-84; 3. Peter Braun, Komenskeho 43, 323 13 Plzen; tel. 019/52-15-58; and 4. Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 15500 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 22 May 1992. Documentation: 1. Gold: Die Juden and Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); 2. Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia (1980); 3. Notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha; and 4. 1724 and 1930 censuses. Cibulkova, Braun, and Lowy visited site in March 1992. Interviews were conducted with L. Smolik, 340 37 Mecin cp. 56.