Jews were first mentioned in the town in 1492 with an 1880 Jewish population was close to 400 when the synagogue was consecrated. Jewish population: 553 in 1910. The Nazis closed the synagogue in October 1942. By year's end, all of the Jews had been deported to Theresienstadt. town images [February 2009]
The capitol city of the Pardubice Region, on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague, the city was founded ca. 1340 but already had a monastery since early 13th century. Pardubice is an important industrial city. Since 1874, a famous horse race, Great Pardubice Steeplechase (Velká Pardubická) has taken place every autumn, said to be the toughest horse race on the continent. The Czech Open Chess Tournament is the biggest in Europe, with roughly 1200 players from all over the world competing. Pardubice has an antique center square and old town, an old Tower, and a recently renovated Castle. [February 2009]
PARDUBICE I: Commission No. CZCE000147
Alternate names: Pardubice [Cz], Pardubitz [Ger], Pardubiza, Pardubizi. Pardubice is located in Bohemia, Pardubice at 50°02′19″N 15°46′45″E , 59 miles E of Praha (Prague). The old cemetery is located at 1200 m NE, in Jagermannova Str. Present town population is over 100,000 with 10-100 Jews.
- Town: Mestasky urad, mayor MUDr. Zdenek Stransky, Pernstynovo namesti 1, 530 02 Pardubice; tel. 040220-11.
- Regional: Pamatkovy urad vychodnich Cech, zamek, 530 02 Pardubice; and Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, namesti Osvobozeni 12, 530 02 Pardubice; tel. 040214-95.
- Interested: Muzeum vychodnich Cech, zamek, 530 02 Pardubice; tel. 040/210-53 and Statni Zidovske Muzeum Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1.
Earliest known Jewish community was first half of 17th century; new congregation was 1859. 1930 Jewish population was 518. The Jewish community was banished in 1662. Opera singer Hanus Thein (1904-1974) lived here. The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery originated in 1624 with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial 1882-1883. Brozany; Dasice; Holice, 3 km, 9 km, and 15 km away, used site. The flat isolated suburban site has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via no wall, fence, or gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.1426 ha.
None of the 19th century, flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration or multi-stone monuments is in original location. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. The municipality owns the property used for recreation (park, playground, athletic field). Adjacent properties are residential. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred during World War II: liquidated 1939. There is no maintenance. Moderate threat: pollution.
Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 0255-33-40 completed survey on 20 May 1992. Documentation: J Sakar: Dejiny Pardubic nad Labem (1926, 1928); Zpravy KPP 1980/10. No site visits or interviews occurred.
UPDATE: There is no Jagermannova Str. on recent Pardubice map. Source: "Jerzy Pankiewicz" This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [August 2003]
PARDUBICE II: US Commission No. CZ00000148
- Caretaker with key: Bozena Cervinkova, K Lesu 199, 530 03 Pardubice; tel. 040/54-50-58.
The unlandmarked but still-active Conservative or Progressive/Reform cemetery originated in 1883. Buried in the cemetery are Esperanto poet Stanislav Schulof (1864-1919), head of Czech-Jewish movement Victor Vohryzek (1864-1918) and H. Thein. Dasice, 9 km away, and Holice, 15 km away, used site until 1913. The flat suburban land, separate but near cemeteries, has no sign but has Jewish symbols on gate or wall. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission via continuous masonry wall and locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 2923 sq. m. The cemetery has special section for refugees.
100-500 stones, all in original location, date from probably 17th century (transferred) to 20th century. The marble, granite, sandstone and artificial stone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, sculpted monuments, multi-stone monuments, horizontally set stones with Sephardic inscriptions or obelisks have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. Some tombstones have iron decorations or lettering, with bronze decorations or lettering, portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims, monument for transferred bones from old cemetery, and marked mass graves. Praha Jewish community owns the Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are municipal cemetery. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred occasionally 1945-1991. Jewish groups within the country did the restoration in 1960s, 1984 and 1986. Praha Jewish congregation pays the regular caretaker. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion, pollution and existing nearby development.
Vlastmila Hamackova, Zabelska 37, Engineer Mojmir Maly, Ve Stresovickach 58, 169 00 Praha 6; tel. 33-57-69 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l. Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5 completed on 20 May 1992. Documentation: J. Sakar: Dejiny Pardubic nad Labem (1926-1928), Zpravy KPP 1980/10, and notes of Stani z.museum Praha. No site visits or interviews occurred.