photo: cemetery cleared of vegetation and walls repaired, newer obelisk gravestones and pre-burial house restored. another photo on p 69 [February 2009]
Since its first documentation in 1216, Příbram was owned by Prague bishops and received its walls. The city castle was built under Prague archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice. Pribram supported the Hussites in the wars of the 15th century and was pillaged four times by Catholic aristocracy. Town were privileges confirmed by King Jiří z Poděbrad in 1463. The economic state of city worsened as the rulers often pledged the city. In 1579 Rudolf II named Příbram a "Royal Mining City", but The Thirty Years' War killed many. The violent Catholic retaking of the town supported the growing importance of Svatá Hora, a nearby pilgrimage site. Since the 17th century, mining boom encouraged the city growth eventhough the majority of its mining profit went to the central Viennese government. Silver mining peaked at the end of the 18th century. Five major deep-mines were built in 18th century. The Příbram mining district was one of the most modern in Europe in 19th century through the 1920s. Příbram built educational institutions and became the seat of central mining authorities and the mining academy. The St. Mary mine (Czech: Mariánský důl) fire in 1892 was catastrophe in which 319 miners died. Although the importance of Příbram mines declined after 1900, the city's reputation as an educational and cultural center continued. Strong partisan resistance was around Příbram during WWII included several prominent citizens, many of whom were killed by Nazi occupiers. In May 1945, Příbram spontaneously rose up against the occupiers and formally took power, but the city was liberated finally by Soviet partisan brigade Death of Fascism (Czech: Smrt fašismu, Russian: Смерть фашизма). Although the majority of German forces had left the city before the liberation, Příbram's surroundings are the place where the last shots of the World War II were fired. German troops trying to leave the Soviet Zone over the demarcation line agreed to surrender on 12 May 1945, four days after V-E Day.In 1950, the cities of Příbram and Březové Hory merged and the district opened for uranite mining with penal labour that the Communist Czechoslovak government used to persecute dissenters. Labor camps Příbram-Vojna and Příbram-Brody were run from 1949-1951 with 800 detainees. A new city quarter was built for more than a half of citizens; Březové Hory and several villages (eg. Zdaboř) became part of city with over 40,000 citizens. The 1989 Velvet Revolution influenced the city life as much as the mines closure. Wikipedia [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000163
[Before 1880 used the cemetery at Dobris]
Alternate German name: Pribrans, earlier Freiberg in Böhmen. Pribram is located in Bohemia, Pribram at 49°42' N, 14°01' E , 33 miles SW of Praha (Prague), in central Bohemia. Cemetery: 1300 meters NE, near the road to village Obcov. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
- Town: Mayor Josef Vacek, Mestsky Urad, Tyrsova 108, 261 01 Pribram; tel. 0306/222-94.
- Local: Mestsky Urad-Referat Kultury, Tyrsova 108, 261 01 Pribram.
- Regional: Engineer Ms. Touzimska, Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, Jiraskovy sady 240, 261 01 Pribram and Jewish Congregation: Ms. Jana Wolfova, Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, Maislova 18, 110 00 Praha.
- Interested: Okresni Muzeum, namesti H. Klicky 293, 261 02 Pribram; tel. 0306/4734 or 4746.
- Caretaker with key: Josef Sirucek, 261 05 Pribram VIII, p. 69.
Earliest known Jewish community was 1858. 1930 Jewish population was 235. Jindrich Kohn (1874-1935), writer and prominent person of Czech-Jewish movement lived here. The unlandmarked but still-active Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish cemetery originated after 1879. The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside has inscriptions on pre-burial house in Czech and Hebrew, no sign, and 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 3163 sq. m.
100-500 stones, about half in original location and over 75% toppled or broken, date from about 1880-20th century. The granite and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. Some 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 but no known mass graves or special sections. Within the limits of the site are a wall, a pre-burial house with wall inscriptions, and a device for lowering of casket into grave. The local Jewish community owns Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred 1945-1981, 1980 and 1992. Jewish groups within the country did restoration after 1980 and 1992. Now, individuals and regular caretaker paid by the Jewish congregation occasionally clear or clean. Serious threat: vandalism. Slight threats: weather erosion, pollution and vegetation.
Vlastmila Hamackova, Zabelska 37, Engineer Mojmir Maly, Ve Stresovi ckach 58, 169 00 Praha 6; tel. 35-57-69 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 21 May 1992. Documentation: materials of the regional archives and notes of the Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha. The site was not visited.
[UPDATE] Murdered Jews of Pribram Commemorated [June 2015]