Alternate names: Kardasch Řečice, Kardašova Řečice. 49°11' N 14°51' E, 64.4 miles SSE of Praha. Villages Mnich and Nítovice are administrative parts of Kardašova Řečice,
website in Czech with photo: landmarked "The cemetery is located 1 km S of the blue-marked hiking trail about 100 meters east of the road leading into the Novosedly Nezarkou. IFounded around 1650, extended in the mid-19th century (surrounded by new stone enclosing wall and new entrance was built through a simple mortuary). The last burial took place in 1965. At the 929 sq m cemetery are around 150 tombstones from the 18th century, among them that of the Paul Lauer in 1908 in Hungarian-Czech. Also buried are a rabbi and a teacher or doctor Lazarus Benes Baron Rothschild Gustav Hoenig. Mortuary was demolished in 1987. In recent years, all toppled tombstones were repaired as was the surrounding wall. Since the mid-1990s ongoing maintenance of the cemetery. " [October 2011]
cemetery photos The cemetery is 100 m left of the road from Kardasova Recice towards the village Cikar, about 150 m behind the sewage disposal operation. The oldest tombstone dates from 1647. The last tombstone is 1965, that of Mrs. Marie Kratka born Honigova, who could survive the Holocaust because of her mixed matrimony as the only Jewish person in Kardasova Recice. The cemetery is locked and the key is at the custodian Mr. Michalicek, Hajecek 620, Kardasova Recice, phone 384 382 677. [February 2009]
Rozmberk Society [February 2009]
See Rozmberk for additional information.
map and photos: "The small town Kardašova Řečice ... 10 km NW of the town Jindřichův Hradec... used to be a market village in the 13th century. Later it was a small town with the guardian castle, which was destroyed during the Hussite Wars. Only traces of earthwork and of a moat can be found. The original name of the village was Řečice. The modifier "Kardašova" ("Kardaš's Řečice") comes from the Turkish language - "kardaš" means "brother" - and it was added in the 16th century. Church of St. John the Baptist built in place of the original Romanesque-Gothic church was extended in 1380 and reconstructed between 1545 - 1580. The single-aisled church has the Renaissance tower with the dome. The Baroque chateau originates from the first half of the 18th century. The wooden synagogue from 1708 burnt-down including the surrounding dense wooden housing of the Jewish ghetto on the 18th May 1863. A new stone synagogue was built during 1864-1874 at the same place, the now garden of house No. 408. Since 1916, the almost unused synagogue began to deterioate and was demolished 1958-1959.The Jewish cemetery can be found about 1 km south of the town. It was founded before 1560; and the oldest tombstones are from the 18th century. The monument to the poet Boleslav Jablonský is located in the square." [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000302
Alternate German name: Kardasch-Retschitz and Kardaschreczitz. Czech: Kardašova Řečice. It is located in Bohemia-Jindrichuv Hradec at 49º12 14º 53, 11 km WNW of Jindrichuv Hradec and 28 km SE of Tabor. Cemetery: 1500 meters S of the Catholic Church. Present population is 1000-5000 with no Jews.
- Town: Mayor Dr. Petr Nekut, Obecni urad, 378 21 Kardasova Recice; tel. 0331/822-11, tel.: 0331/824-26.
- Regional: 1. Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, Engineer Arch. Karel Papousek, Janderova 147, 377 01 Jindrichuv Hradec; tel. 0331/262-41 or 236-66; 2. Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, (Ms. Jana Wolfava), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25; and 3. Pamatkovy ustav, namesti Premysla Otokara 34, 370 21 Ceske Budjovice; tel. 038/237-92.
- Interested: Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 00 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 and 231-07-85 and Okresni Muzeum, Balbinovo namesti 19, 377 11 Jindrichuv Hradec; tel. 0331/213-46.
- Caretaker with key: Ms. Chvojkova in Obecni urad, 378 21 Karasova Recice. Former caretaker is Vaclav Kratky, Hradni 181, 378 21 Kardasova Recice.
A prayerhouse was recorded before 1650. 1930 Jewish population was 20. Congregation dates perhaps from 16th or early 17th century. Peak Jewish population was first half of 19th century with 25 families permitted. After 1848, Jews moved to big towns with congregation for surrounding villages existing until WWII. Noteworthy individuals: MUDr. Leopold Gottlieb (1862-1916), balneologist and first head of Spa Jachymov (Ger.: Joachimsthal.) The landmarked cemetery (listed in the District List of Monuments) originated before 1650 with last known Conservative Jewish burial in 1965. Destna (Ger.: Deschna), 11 km away, used this cemetery. The rural (agricultural) flat isolated land without sign has Jewish symbols on gate or wall. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission via a continuous masonry wall and locking gate. Size of cemetery before and after WWII: 0.0874 ha.
100-500 gravestones, all in original location with more than 75% toppled or broken, date from perhaps 17th or 18th-20th century. The marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, sculpted monuments, or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German, and/or Czech inscriptions. Some have bronze decorations or lettering and/or metal fences around. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits of the cemetery is a well. Used for Jewish cemetery only, Praha Jewish community owns the site. Properties adjacent are agricultural. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred during WWII and occasionally in the last ten years. The damaged entry-porch was pulled down after 1987. Jewish and non-Jewish groups within country cleared vegetation, fixed wall, and fixed gate in the early 1980's and 1991. Current care: occasional clearing or cleaning by local scouts in 1992 and occasional clearing organized by the Jewish Congregation. Security (secluded spot) and vandalism are moderate threats. Weather erosion and vegetation are slight threats. Vegetation overgrowth seasonally prevents access.
Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4; tel. 02/69-20-350 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 24 November 1992. Documentation: 1. 1650, 1724, 1830, and 1930 Censuses; 2. Die Juden and Judengemeinden Bohemens...(1934); 3. Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia (1980); and 1982 letter from V. Kratky [see above]. Other documentation exists but was too old. Chmelikova visited site in June 1992. Ms. Chvojkova from Obecni Urad in Kardasova Recice was interviewed in 1992 by telephone.