UPICE: Trutnov, Bohemia | Czechia (Czech Republic) | International Jewish Cemetery Project

town website Located at the ford of the Radečka and Úpa rivers abd a strategic point for patrolling the trade route called "Kladská trhovka“ from Náchod, trhough Hronov and Rtyně and toDvůr Králové, from Úpice and in Batňovice this path split off across the Jestřebí mountains up to the north. Úpice probably is older than a castle above Havlovice built in 1279 by Tas of Havlovice. The settlement of Úpice, later a town, was connected with Vizburg castle until its ruin in 1447 when the town of Úpice joined the Náchod estate. As the only town of the Vizmburg estate, Upice had many privileges such as the right of brewing, markets etc. Úpice was loyal to the Hussites. and therefore invaded twice by the Catholic Silasians; the town was burned in 1421 and 1425.The first school was built in 1604. A 1625 fire destroyed the Church and sixteen houses. From the Thirty Year War through 1866, Upice saw repeated military action. In the second half of the 19th century industrial development reached Úpice thanks to the Jewish families of Morawetz, Buxbaum, and Oberlender and their textile and machine factories. Today, almost six thousand people live in Úpice. The town of Úpice was home to world reknown writer, Karel Čapek, and his painter and writer brother, Josef. Painter Julie Winterová Mezerová is exhibited in the old town hall, today a museum on the square.[February 2009]

US Commission No. CZCE000412

Alternate name: Eipel in German and Úpice in Czech Upice is located in Bohemia-Trutnov at 50°30′45″N 16°00′55″E, 9 km SE of Trutnov and 15 km NW of Nachod. Cemetery: 250 Km SW of square in Chelcickeho street of church. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with probably no Jews.

Town: Mestsky Urad, 542 32 Upice; tel. 439/93-2533; Mayor Engineer Temin; tel. 0439-2730.
Regional: Okresni urad, Horska ulice, 541 00 Trutnov; tel. 0439/3252 or 4251. Zidovska Nabozenska Obec v Praze, Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25.
Caretaker with key (custodian of municipal cemetery): Technicke sluzby mesta, Plickova 842, 542 32 Upice; tel. 0439/93-26-21.

Earliest known Jewish community was religious society with prayer-room recorded in first third of 20th century. 1930 Jewish population was 62. Peak Jewish population was probably in late 19th and early 20th century; Later, Jews moved to big towns. The Jewish cemetery originated in late 19th century with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial before 1943. Buried in the cemetery are owners of local textile industry. The suburban hillside, part of a municipal cemetery, (most Jewish graves inter-buried with Christian graves), has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a continuous masonry wall as municipal cemetery. Municipal Cemetery has a locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is about 0.006 ha. 1-20 stones, all in original location, date from 1891-20th century. The granite, limestone and sandstonefinely smoothed and inscribed stones, sculpted monuments or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. The cemetery contains no known mass graves, structures, or special sections. The municipality owns Jewish cemetery property. Adjacent properties are residential and municipal cemetery. Local residents stop frequently as municipal cemetery. This cemetery was not vandalized. Local/ municipal authorities did restoration continuously. Now, authorities occasionally clean or clear. The caretaker is paid by a local contribution. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion and vegetation.
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 27 August 1992. Documentation: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens...(1934). No site visits or interviews occurred.