STRAZ: Tachov okres, Plzen, Bohemia

Straz Jewish Cemetery is just off the side of the road in a wooden area. The cemetery was well tended but locked up. [February 2009]

US Commission No. CZCE000291

Alternate German name: Neustadtl am Klinger. Straz is located in Bohemia, Tachov at 49º40' 12.47', 4 km S of Bor; 13 km SE of Tachov; 42 km WSW of Plzen. Cemetery: 1100 m NW of square. Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.

• Town: Mestsky Urad, mayor: Jaromir Koukl, 348 05 Straz u Tachova.
  
• Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, 347 01 Tachov 1326; tel. 0184/3560; and Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, Smetanovy sady 5, 301 37 Plzen; tel. 019/357-49; and Pamatkovy ustav, Dominikanska 4/6, 301 00 Plzen; tel. 019/376-78 or 358-71.
  
• Interested: Statni zidovski Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85. Okresni Muzeum, trida Miru 447, 347 01 Tachov; tel. 0184/2172. Zdenek Prochazka, Vodni 18, 334 01 Domazlice; tel. 0189/2332. Frantiska Weilova, Ohrobec 146, 252 45 Zzvole u Prahy (widow of the last local Jew).
  

Earliest known Jewish community was 16th century but congregation was probably older. 1930 Jewish population was 31. Jewish community from 14th or 15th century probably was banished before 1620. New congregation was recorded in second half of 17th century. Peak of Jewish population in first half of 19th century with 47 families permitted. Jews moved to big towns since mid-19th century. Archives of congregation burned in 1876. One man survived Holocaust. The Jewish cemetery originated in allegedly 1330, recorded in 1450 with last known Conservative Jewish burial before 1939. Bernartice (Ger.: Pernartitz), 5 km away, used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing private pastures, access is open to all via a broken masonry wall and non-locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.26 ha.

1-20 stones, none in original locations, are sandstone flat shaped stones with Hebrew and German inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures but has special section for Cohanim. Plzen Jewish community owns the Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred prior to World War II 1938 by Nazis, during World War II, 1945-1981, and never in 1981-91 with no maintenance. Slight threats: weather erosion, pollution, vegetation, vandalism, and existing and proposed nearby development.
Dr. Peter Braun, Komenskeho 43, 323 13 Plzen; tel. 019/52-15-58; and Rudolf Loewy, Jesenicka 33, 323 23 Plzen; tel. 01/952-06-84; and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 5 November 1992. Documentation: census 1650, 1724, 1830, 1930; Die Juden und Jugengemeinden Bohemens 1934; Jahrbuch fur die israel.Cultusgemeinden Bohemens 1893-1894 ; Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries 1980; notes of research made by Statni zidovski Muzeum 1965; letter of Mrs.F.Weilova, 1987. The site was not visited.