cemetery photo [February 2009]
map and photos: "The small town Stráž nad Nežárkou lies near the Nežárka river about 12 km north-east of the town Třeboň. Originally there was a ford across the river protected by a castle in the second half of the 13th century (the name Stráž means Guard). The first mention of the settlement around the castle is from 1380, but it already was a town at that time under the ownership of the Lords of Jindřichův Hradec.The originally Gothic parish Church of Sts. Peter and Paul founded in the 14th century stands below the square. It was rebuilt several times, the last reconstruction was in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style. Not far from the church there is a separated bell tower - the school adjoins with it in the present day. The small chateau stands in the eastern part of the square. It was rebuilt from the original castle at the beginning of the 17th century, only the tower has been preserved. At the beginning of the 18th century the chateau was reconstructed into the current appearance in the Baroque style. Between 1914 - 1930 the famous Czech opera singer Ema Destinnová lived a part of her life in the chateau." [February 2009]
US Commission No. CZCE000312 [also used cemetery at Jindrichuv Hradec]
Alternate German name: Platz (an der Naser). Town is located in Bohemia, Jindrichuv Hradec at 49º04' 14º55', 11 km SW of Jindrichuv Hradec and 31 km ENE of Ceske Budejovice. Cemetery: 1700 m W of chateau, on cadastre of Pistina (Ger.: Pistin). Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Obecni urad, 378 02 Straz nad Nezarkou; tel. 0331/894-32 or 893-62 or 893-82.
- Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, (Director: Engineer-Architect Karel Papousek), Janderova 147, 377 01 Jindrichuv Hradec; tel. 0331/262-41 or 236-66; and Zidovska Nabozenska Obec (Director: Ms. Jana Wolfova), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25; and Pamatkovy ustav, namesti Premysla Otakara 34, 370 21 Ceske Budejovice; tel. 038237-92.
- 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; and local historian, Pavel Dvoracek, ulice 9. Kvenna 273/63, 378 02 Straz nad Nezarkou.
- Key holder: cemetery without entry (walled-up gate). Access is over wall of privately owned caretaker-house at No.34. JUDr. Marie Moravcova, Pistina 34, 378 02 Straz nad Nezarkou. Entry is through both her house and/or garden:
Earliest known Jewish community was synagogue recorded in 1828 (congregation probably since 18th century.) 1930 Jewish population was 8. Eleven families were permitted in first half of 19th century. Jews moved to big towns after 1848. Town had rabbi until 1872 and chazen until about 1890. Independent congregation disbanded in late 19th century; synagogue closed about 1900. The Jewish cemetery originated before 1829 with last known Conservative Jewish burial before 1943. Trebon (German: Wittingau) before 1900, 11 km away, used this unlandmarked cemetery. Between fields and woods, the flat isolated site has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road or crossing private property (wood), access is entirely closed by a continuous masonry wall, a continuous fence, and non-locking walled-up gate. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII was 0.1137 ha s and is now approximately 0.085 ha.
100-500 stones, all in original locations, date from 1847-20th century. The marble, granite, limestone and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. Some tombstones have traces of painting on their surfaces and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits of the site is a pre-burial house, a wall, and caretaker-house. Praha Jewish community owns site used for Jewish cemetery, agriculture (crops or animal grazing), and yard. Adjacent properties are agricultural and wood. The boundaries are smaller than 1939 because of agriculture and caretaker-house with unused part of cemetery sold before 1971. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred 1945-1981. Jewish individuals within country did restoration before 1970. There is no maintenance. Moderate threat: vandalism. Slight threats: uncontrolled access, 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, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 26 November 1992. Documentation: census 1830, 1930; cadastre of 1828; notes of research made by Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha in 1965; notes of research made by PhDr.Petr Zima (from Prague) in 1982; letter of MVDr.Karel Veleminsky, the last regular visitor of cemetery, (deceased 1982); letter of historian P.Dvoracek, 1983. Other documentation was inaccessible. No site visits or interviews occurred.