[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns; unknown if they are of the Old or the Newer Cemetery [November 2017]
LIBESICE: (I) US Commission No. CZCE000354
Alternate name: Libeschitz; Liebeschitz in German. Libesice is located in Bohemia, Louny at 50º18 13º37, 6 km SE of Zatec and 64 km WNW of Praha. The old cemetery is located at 900 m SE of Village Green. Present town population is under 1,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
- Town: Mistni urad, 439 63 Libesice u Zatce; and Mestsky Urad, 438 01 Zatec; tel. 0397/2221; mayor: tel. 0397/3126.
- Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, Paleckeho 2380 01, 440 01 Louny; tel. 0395/2421; and Zidovska Nabozenska Obec (Mr. Chaim Klein) Lipova 25, 415 01 Teplice; tel. 0417/265-80.
- Interested: Regionalni Muzeum (Dr. Holednak, Dr. Zinnerova), Husova 678, 438 01 Zatec; tel. 0397/2840; and Okresni Muzeum, Pivovarska 28, 440 01 Louny; tel. 0395/2456; and Karel Manda, 493 63 Libesice, u Zatce 15; and Stani Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85.
Earliest known Jewish community was probably 17th century, recorded 1724. 1930 Jewish population was 9. Peak Jewish population was 1864 (160 people, 32% of total population) who later moved to big towns. Congregation ceased in 1931. The Jewish cemetery originated in 1776 with last known Conservative Jewish burial about 1897. Necemice (German: Netschemitz) 6 km away this cemetery. The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing private field, access open to all via a broken masonry wall without gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.2985 ha.
20-100 stones, all in original locations, date from late 18th-20th century. The marble, 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 and German inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. Teplice Jewish community owns the Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Boundaries are unchanged since 1939 with no maintenance. Rarely, Jewish or non-Jewish private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred prior to World War II (1938) and by Nazis. Very serious threat: vegetation. Serious threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism. Moderate threat: weather erosion.
Martina Chmellikova, 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 23 August 1992. Documentation: census 1724, 1930; cadastre of 1843-75; Friedrich Selner: Statistische Tafeln des Saazer Bezirks (1864); Die Juden and Judengemeinden Bohemens..(1934); Jarbuch fur die israelische Cultusgemeinden Bohemens (1893-94); letters of K. Manda, (1984); and letter of D. Dubska (1984). Other documentation was inaccessible. The site was not visited. No interviews.
LIBESICE II: US Commission No. CZCE000246
See Libesice I for town details. The new Jewish cemetery is located at 1.1 km E, on the cadastre of Dubcany. The Jewish cemetery originated in 1897 with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial before 1939. Necemice (German: Netschemitz), 6 km away, used this landmarked cemetery. The isolated flat rural (agricultural) land by an urban road has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a continuous masonry wall and non-locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is about 0.2 ha.
1-20 stones date from the end of the 19th-20th century. The granite and sandstone tombstones finely smoothed and inscribed stones have Hebrew and Czech inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits of the site are two similar pre-burial house buildings with chimney in quite good condition. Usti nad Labem Jewish community owns the property used as a Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural and road. Occasionally, Jewish or non-Jewish private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred prior to World War II and by Nazis in 1938, during World War II, and 1945-1981 with no maintenance. Serious threat: vandalism. Moderate threat: weather erosion, pollution and proposed nearby development. Slight threat: vegetation and existing nearby development.
Ladislave Mertl, mgr of geography, Kubanske nam.1322/17, 100 00 Praha 10; tel. 02/743213; and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 16, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/553340 completed survey on 06-05-1992. Documentation: K. Tutte: Der politische Bezirk Saaz (1904); Hugo Gold: Die Juden...Bohemens. (1934); Jarbuch fur die israelische Cultusgmeinden Bohemens (1893-1894); J. Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia, Prague 1980; letters of K. Manda, (1984) and of D. Dubscka, (1984); and census, 1724, 1930, 1991. Other documentation was inaccessible. No site visits or interviews occurred.