Město Touškov (German: Stadt Tuschkau) is a town in the Plzeň Region, some 10 km (6 mi) to the northwest from the regional capital of Plzeň. Touřany is also the seat of the municipality (commune) with commissioned Local Authority within the Nýřany Municipality with Extended Competence. photos. The original village of Mesto Touskov, dating from the 12th century, was a property of Kladruby Cloister. In 1543, the village received the privilege as a town and received the town coat-of-arms. Townhouses were built in this period. Some remaining parts of the original surounding wall and gates exist. There are some well-preserved parts of former town fortification and places of ruined gates. Near by one of them there lived also Jewish population, the most magnificent house stands on the main street. See a Jewish home at Dolní nám. 1 , 330 33 Město Touškov, Městský úřad, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., the recently renovated Baroque facade of Salomon Löbl´s house dated 1769. Since the main religion was Hussism, ceremonies were in Czech and the books were written bilinqually until 1695. Then, German became the official languague here and in the entire Pilsen region. In 1676 the owner, Vilem of Vresovec, sold the city to the cloister. From the Jewish settlement situated near one of those gates is a most beautiful1769 Jewish house on the main street, the refurbished home of Salomon Löbl. Nazis destroyed the Jewish cemetery. [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000282
Alternate German names: Tuschkau Stadt or Touschkau Stadt. It is in Bohemia, Plzen-sever (Pilsen-North) at 49÷47 13÷15, 10 km WNW of Plzen. Cemetery: 1 km NW of square. Present population is 1000-5000 with than 10 Jews.
- Town: Mestsky Urad, 330 33 Mesto Touskov; tel. 019/922-92.
- Regional: 1. Okresni urad Plzen-sever, Referat Kultury, Americka 39, 301 31 Plzen; 2. Jewish Congregation: ZNO, Smetanovy sady 5, 301 37 Plzen; tel. 019/357-49; and 3. Pamatkovy ustav, Dominikanska 4/6, 301 00 Plzen; tel. 019/376-78 or 358-71.
- Interested: 1. Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85; 2. Okresni Muzeum, Mariansky Tynec 1, 331 41 Kralovice; tel. 0182/964-10; 3. Former local historian-Artur Winter, Kventna 394, 330 33 Mesto Touskov; and 4. Ms. M. Novotna, Namesti 50, 330 33 Mesto Touskov.
Earliest known Jewish community was1679 but congregation is older, probably from the 16th century. 1930 Jewish population (census) was 43 in Mesto Touskov and 26 in Kozolupy. Presumably Jews settled after banished from Plzen in first half of 16th century. 12 families were permitted in 1724 and 9 families in first half of 19th century. Independent congregation joined congregation of Kozolupy probably in late 19th century. Both burial societies integrated in 1933. Noteworthy individual was local Jewish nobleman Simon Lamel von Lamelsfeld (18th century). Jewish cemetery originated before 1544. Rabbis and family of von Lamelsfeld are buried here with last known Conservative Jewish burial before 1939. Kozolupy (Ger: Kosolup), 2 km away; Malesice (Ger: Malesitz), 5 km away and Nyrany (Nurschan), 7 km away, used this unlandmarked cemetery. Between fields and woods, the isolated hillside has no sign. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. The cemetery walls were stolen and no gate exists. Size of cemetery before and after WWII: 0.6401 ha.
1-20 gravestones, with none in original location but none toppled or broken. [sic] Some stones were removed from the cemetery to museum by Nazis who sold the majority to the town of Dobrany. Other gravestones were simply stolen. Remaining stones date from probably 19th century but before WWII; the oldest legible tombstone dated from 1543. The 19th-20th century granite and sandstone flat shaped stones have Hebrew and German inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Now a forest, the Jewish community of Plzen or the municipality of Plzen owns the site. Adjacent properties are forest. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred prior to World War II until the last 10 years. No maintenance, care or structures. Security (uncontrolled access) and vegetation are very serious threats. Vegetation overgrowth constantly disturbs stones. The cemetery has been buried by nature. Weather erosion is a moderate threat while pollution is a slight threat.
Dr. Peter Braun, Komenskeho 43, 323 13 Plzen; tel. 019/52-15-58, Rudolf Lowy, Jesenicka 33, 323 23 Plzen; tel. 019/52-06-84 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 6 November 1992. Documentation: 1. Censuses of 1679, 1724, 1830, 1921, and 1930; 2. Hugo Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); 3. Gustav A. Schimmer: Statistik des Judenthums... 1873; 4. 1983 letter of historian A. Winter; and 5. 1990 letter of historian of Nyrany. Braun and Lowy visited site in February 1992. No interviews.