SVINAROV: Rakovnik, Bohemia

US Commission No. CZE000183

[used the cemetery in Rakovnik before 1858]

Svinarov is located in Bohemia, Rakovnik at 50º01 13º44, 9 km SSW of Rakovnik. Cemetery: 1 km NW (on the cadastre of Rousinov). Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.

• Town: Obecni urad, 270 41 Slabce.
  
• Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, 269 01 Rakovnik, Jewish Congregation: ZNO, Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1.
  
• Interested: Okresni Muzeum, Vysoka 232/1, 269 01 Rakovnik; Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1. Olga Urbanova, Rousinov 84, 270 41 Slabce; tel. 0313/96180; and Frantisek SIC, Domov duchodcu, 270 02 Kolesovice; and Alexis Prinz von Croy (former owner of dominion), 8359 Aicha v. Wald (N.B.) Germany.
  

Earliest known Jewish community was 1786. 1930 Jewish population was 6 in Svinarov and 5 in Slabce. 1866 prayer house was destroyed by fire so seat of congregation moved to Slabce. The Jewish cemetery originated in 1858 with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial before WWII. Slabce, 3 km away, used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated rural (agricultural) 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 777 sq. m.

20-100 stones date from second half of 19th-20th century. The granite and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves, structures, or special sections. Praha Jewish community owns cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. Vandalism occurred occasionally 1945-1991 with no maintenance. Moderate threats: uncontrolled access, weather erosion and vandalism. Slight threats: pollution and existing nearby development.

Ladislav Mertl, mgr. of georgraphy, Kubanske nam.1322/17; 100 000 Praha, 10; tel. 02/743213; and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5 completed survey on 05-15-92. Documentation: J. Renner, J. Fiser: "Dejiny Zidu na Slabecku" (Vestnik musejniho spolku, kralovskeho mesta Rakovnika, 1936); census 1930, 1991. A. von Croy 1984-1985; O. Urbanov, 05-16-92 in Rousinov.

[UPDATE] Restoration of Rousinov-Svinarov Jewish Cemetery [May 2018]