map and photos: "The small town is well-known due to the large castle situated about 10 km north-east of the town Sušice. Around 1499 this small town arose from the original settlement around the castle, which was built at the beginning of the 14th century. The town was fortified and obtained a lot of rights and privileges. The oldest building in the town is the Gothic Church of the Most Holy Trinity, built in 1498 in place of the original church, which was founded near the castle after 1300. The new church was used as a castle chapel and its rostrum was accessible directly from the gallery on the castle walls. The church was renovated in 1907. Its nave is arched with the tracery ribbed vault and has the pentagonal presbytery. The Pseudo-Gothic town hall from the 19th century stands in the square. A few houses, which were built in the style called rural South-Bohemian Baroque in the 19th century, can be seen in the square as well. The remains of the town gate, which was a part of the fortification of the town, can be found on the upper side of the square. The so-called Žižka's Pear Tree was planted under Líšeň hill (west of the castle) in the place, where the Hussite leader Jan Žižka lost the second eye - according to the legend - during the conquering of the castle. The old Jewish cemetery can be found below the castle on the outskirts of the town. The small Neo-Gothic waterworks was built in the 1930's not far from the town in the direction of the village Budětice." [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE0001681
Alternate name: Raby in German. Rabi is located in Bohemia, Klatovy at 49÷17 13÷37, 8 km NW of Susice and 52 km SSE of Plzen. Cemetery: 300 meters W. Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Mestsky Urad, 341 61 Rabi.
- Regional: Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, 339 01 Klatovy and Jewish congregation: Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, Smetanovyy sady 5, 301 37 Plzen; tel. 019/357-49.
- Interested: Milan Pokorny, teacher, 341 61 Rabi and Dr. Lubos Smolik, Director, Okresni Muzeum, Hostasova 1/IV, 339 01 Klatovy; tel. 0186/2309 and Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85.
- Caretaker: Milan Pokorny, tech, 341 61 Rabi.
Earliest known Jewish community was before 1497. 1930 Jewish population was 0; last Jewish family left Rabi in 1899. Jews moved to big towns in second half of 19th century. The Jewish cemetery originated in allegedly 15th century but recorded in 1724 with last known Jewish burial 1901. Landmarked: 645/3263/Category II. The isolated suburban 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 0.0712 ha.
20-100 stones, most in original location, date from 18th-20th century. The marble, granite, limestone and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, double tombstones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. Plzen Jewish community owns the Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred never in 1981-91. [sic] Local non-Jewish residents did restoration in 1989, 1990, and 1991. Now, there is occasional clearing or cleaning by individuals. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion, pollution and vegetation.
Marketa Cibulkova (Serikova 20, 317 05 Plzen; tel. 019/416-87), Dr. Peter Braun (Komenskeho 43, 323 13 Plzen; tel. 019/52-15-58), Rudolf Loewy (Jesenicka 33, 323 23 Plzen; tel. 019/52-06-84), and Jiri Fiedler, z"l (Brickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40) completed survey on 22 May 1992. Documentation: Hugo Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries of Bohemia and Moravia (1980); and 1983 notes of local historian. The site was not visited but M. Pokorny and L. Smolik were interviewed.