See Die Juden and Judengemeinde Mahrens in Vergangenheit und Gegenwar Alternate German name: Altstadt bei Neubistritz [February 2009]
map and photos: "The small town Staré Město pod Lanštejnem ("Old Town Below the Landštejn Castle") lies below the ruins of the Landštejn castle, which was one of the largest Romanesque castles in Bohemia. It is situated about 8 km west of the town Slavonice on the Pstruhovec stream. The village originates from the 12th century. It used to be a market village, which belonged to the Landštejn castle. In the 15th century it became a town. The dominant building of the small square is the Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary. The Gothic three-aisled basilica was founded at the turn on the 16th century. Later it was reconstructed into the Renaissance and Baroque styles, for the last time in the 19th century. The main Baroque altar from 1723 dominates the interior of the church. The old tombstones can be seen in the church. Some of them belong to the holders of the Landštejn castle, who have been buried here. The numerous Jewish minority lived in Staré Město." The Jews founded their own cemetery in the 17th century, which can be found on the northern outskirts of the town near the Pstruhovec stream, on a little, protected hill area Hadí Vrch (Snaky Hill) in the fields about 80 m to the west of the road from Stare mesto pod Landstejnem towards the dam. This lies near the road from Staré Město to the small town Nová Bystřice. Tombstones date from the first half of the 18th century, but the oldest tombstone dates from 1610. Seriously damaged by the Nazis,the Jewish community of Prague is responsible for renovating the site. [February 2009]
The Jewish community was densely settled in the eastern part of t Jindrichuv Hradec district with the only remainder after the Holocaust being the desolate synagogues in Jindrichuv Hradec and Telc and cemeteries in Markvarec, Stare Mesto pod Landstejnem, Dolni Bolikov, Jindrichuv Hradec and Nova Bystrice. Source of information about Jewish communities in the area. A wooden synagogue of an unknown time burnt down in 1830.The new synagogue built during the 1st half of the 19th century was demolished in 1955. (on a little hill in the fields about 80 m to the west of the road from Stare mesto pod Landstejnem towards the dam). A cemetery from the begin of the 17th century with tombstones from the first half of the 18th century. The oldest tombstone dates from 1610. Seriously damaged by the Nazis. Being under restoration by the Jewish community of Prague at the present time. [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000310
Alternate German name: Altstadt. Town is located in Bohemia, Jindrichuv Hradec at 49º01 15º16, 23 km SE of Jindrichuv Hradec and 24 km SW of Telc. Cemetery: 650 meters NNW of Catholic church. Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Obecni urad, 378 82 Stare Mesto p.L.; tel. 0332/9030 or 9031.
- Regional: Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, comp: Engineer arch. Karel Papousek, Janderova 147, 377 01 Jindrichuv Hradec; tel. 0331/262-41 or 236-66; and Pamatkovy ustav, namesti Premysla Otakara 34, 370 21 Ceske Budejovice; tel. 038/237-92; and Jewish Congregation: Ms. Jana Wolfova, Zidovska Nabozenska Obec v Praze, Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25.
- Interested: Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85 and Okresni Muzeum, Balbinovo namesti 19, 377 11 Jindrichuv Hradec; tel. 0331/213-46.
Earliest known Jewish community was 1650 but probably older. 1930 Jewish population was 12. Seat of Jewish regional physician in 18th century. 22-25 families were permitted in first half of 19th century. Jews moved to big towns after 1848. Independent congregation disbanded in 1893 but synagogue remained until 1938. The Jewish cemetery originated before 1611 with last known Conservative Jewish burial in 1939. Slavonice (German: Zlabings) and Nova Bystrice (German: Neubistritz) before 1879, 7 and 10 km away, used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated rural exceptionally picturesque rocky knoll amid lowlands has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing private field, access is open to all via no wall, fence, or gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.1137 ha. 2
0-100 stones, most in original location, date from 1727 (or 1610)-20th century. The marble, granite and limestone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew and German inscriptions. Some have metal fences around graves. Praha Jewish community owns cemetery with no structures. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred prior to World War II: 1938 by Nazis, during World War II and 1945-1981 with no maintenance. Serious threat: vandalism. Moderate threat: vegetation. Slight threat: weather erosion and pollution.
Vlastmila Hamackova, Zabelska 37, Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4; tel. 02/69-20-350 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 25 November 1992. Documentation: censuses of 1723, 1830, and 1930; cadastres of 1828 and 1863; Hugo Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); research notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha (1965). Other documentation was inaccessible. No site visits or interviews occurred.