MNICHOVO HRADISTE: Mlada Boleslav, Bohemia | Czechia (Czech Republic)

A town in the Central Bohemian Region with a population is 8,500 and first mentioned in 1279 contains a Renaissance castle that belonged to the Wallenstein family. Here, Prussia, Austria and Russia signed the Munchengratz Agreement in September 1833 to establish a three-power alliance to "support conservative causes" in Europe and the wider world. To counter the Munchengratz Agreement, Britain, France, Spain and Portugal signed the Quadruple Treaty in April 1834, establishing the idea of two opposing power blocs in European politics for the first time. The first major event in which the two sides opposed each other was the Portuguese throne crisis of 1833-39. Wikipedia [February 2009]

US Commission No. CZCE000251

Alternate name: Munchengratz, Münchengrätz in German. Mnichovo Hradiste is located in Bohemia, Mlada Boleslav at 50°31′17″N 14°58′25″E , 13 km NE of Mlada Boleslav. Cemetery: 700 meters W of the square. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.

Town: Mayor Jindrich Kvapil, Mestsky Urad, oddeleni kultury, 295 01 Mnichovo Hradiste; tel. 0329/2203.
Regional: Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, 293 01 Mlada Bolelav and Jewish Congregation: ZNO Praha (Ms. Jana Wolfova), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1, tel 02/231-69-25; and Pamatokovy urad strednich Cech, Hybernska 18, 110 00 Praha 1; tel. 02/23-54-940 to 42.
Interested: Mestske Muzeum, Davidova 148, 295 01 Mnichovo Hradiste and Okresni Muzeum, Staromestske namesti 1, 293 80 Mlada Boleslav; tel. 0326/2279 or 3234.

Earliest known Jewish community was probably 17th century but recorded in second half of 18th century. 1930 Jewish population was 37. Peak Jewish population was first half of 19th century with 1837 population of 177 and 1890 population of 123. Jews moved to big towns in 20th century. This was the native town of Austrian writer Leopold Kompert (1822-1886). The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery originated in 18th century with last known Conservative Jewish burial before 1943. Dolni Bousov and Domousnice and Rozdalovice (before 1832) 14 km, 17 km, and 28 km away, used site. A sign or plaque in Czech marks the isolated flat suburban at the crown of a hill. Inscriptions on pre-burial house mention Jews and the former cemetery. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is entirely closed. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.2611 ha.

No stones exist. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to former cemetery but no known mass graves or structures. Praha Jewish community or the municipality owns the property used as a Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are recreational and residential. Occasionally, private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred occasionally 1981-91 (pulled down after 1981) and 1945-1981. Jewish groups within the country did restoration before 1975 with vandalism afterward. There is no maintenance. Slight threat: existing and proposed nearby development.

Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 26 June 1992. Documentation: 1. Hugo Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); 2. Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia (1980); 3. Notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha; and 4. Jahrbuch fur die israelische Cultusgemeinden Bohemens (1894-5). Other documentation exists but was inaccessible: Records 53, 59, 60, and 62 in archives of Praha Jewish congregation. Fiedler visited site in 1991. Inhabitants of neighboring houses and the Catholic parish priest in Mnichovo Hradiste from 1985-1991 were interviewed.