NEUSTUPOV [Neustupow]: Benesov

49°37' N 14°42' E, 33.9 miles SSE of Praha

 

CEMETERY:

US Commission No. CZCE000253
Neustupov is located in Bohemia, Benesov at 49÷37 14÷42, 19 km S of Benesov and 23 km N of Tabor. Cemetery: 1 km NW. Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.

• Town: Obecni urad, 257 85 Neustupov.
  
• Regional: Jewish congregation: ZNO Praha Ms. Jana Wolfova Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/2318664 and Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, 256 01 Benesov u Prahy and PhDr Jiri Tywoniak District Conservator of Monuments, Zapova 601/22, 256 01 Benesov u Prahy; tel. 0301/23618.
  
• Interested: Okresni Muzeum Benesov, Male namesti 74, 256 01 Benesov u Prahy and Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jacymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/2310634 and Narodni Muzeum Praha, narodopisne oddeleni, 257 85 Neustupov; tel. 0302/670 and former local historian: Frantisek Skramlik, 257.85 Neustupov 47. MUDr Ondrej Bazant, obrancu miru 660, 259 01 Votice; tel. 0302/2430 and Olga Korbelova, Husova 288, 259 01 Votice; tel. 0302/2630.

Earliest known Jewish community was probably 17th century. 1930 Jewish population was 11. Jews moved to big towns after 1848. Independent Jewish congregation disbanded in 1915. Buried in the cemetery are ancestors of poet Jiri Orten 1919-1941. Birthplace of poet Josef Rosenzweig-Moir 1887-1943 and mother of poet Jiri Orten. The Jewish cemetery originated in 1723 with last known probably Conservative Jewish burial about 1938. The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a broken masonry wall and non-locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.2431 ha. 20-100 stones date from 1752-20th century. The granite and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits of the site is a pre-burial house. Praha Jewish community owns cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred during World War II, occasionally 1945-1991. Restoration was done probably in last repairs but no maintenance. Serious threat: vegetation. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, pollution and vandalism. Slight threat: existing nearby development.
Ladislav Mertl, Mgr. of Geography, Kubankske namesti 1322/17, Praha 10-Vrsovice; tel. 02/743213 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/553340 completed survey on 24 May 1992. Documentation: Jahrbuch fur die israelische Cultesgemeinden Bohmen 1893-94 and notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha and Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia 1980 and 1984 letter of Local historian Skramlik and censuses of 1723, 1930, 1991. Other documentation was inaccessible. The site was visited several times during autumn 1991 and twice in spring 1992: 15 March 1992. [?] were interviewed.