town image Alternate names: Tábor [Cz], Tabor [Ger]. [February 2009]
A Jewish community founded in the early 1600's built a synagogue [scroll down for photo] in the late 1800's (Jewish population of 455 in 1884) that was closed down by the Nazis in October 1941. The town, used as a transit camp for deportations to Theresienstadt and later to Auschwitz, also was the site of labor camps of Flossenbuerg concentration camp. The tragic years of German occupation disturbed the life of the town. Like everywhere else in Europe, Jewish citizens were persecuted and the local Jewish cemetery destroyed. 156 innocent people were executed in the suburb called Prazske predmesti; a memorial commemorates the malicious Nazi deeds. photo of New Cemetery. [February 2009]
DISTRICT: The entire district of Tabor is closely linked with the Hussite religious movement such as preserved town center of Tabor; the ruins of Kozi Hradek where Jan Hus stayed and preached; Sudomerice, a famous battle field; historic Sezimovo Usti; and Jordan (given to the water reservoir in Tabor). Tabor's Gothic town hall, a system of underground corridors, and a unique street layout from Hussite times inspires performances about the medieval way of life. The castle and church in Bechyne, with very rare diamond vaults; the ruins of a castle in Dobronice; and the towns of Sobeslav and Veseli nad Luznici. The Luznice river valley between Tabor and Bechyne deeply cuts into a wooded landscape. Peatland moors near Sobeslav have outstanding examples of folk architecture (peasant Baroque in the villages of Mazice, Zaluzi, Vlastibor, Komarov). The peat-bog Borkovicka blata National Nature Reserve is of interest. Slavic and pre-historic grave mounds exist near Pribenice and Skalice. The 7th to 8th centurSlavic fortified settlement Svakov is of interest. Along the Luznice river is the oldest intercity railway in the Czech Republic. [February 2009]
TOWN: The second largest town in South Bohemia, Tabor lies on the Luznice river about 60 km north of the town Ceske Budejovice. A well-known Hussite center from the 13th century and possiblly a prehistoric Celtic hillfort in the 1st century BCE. The town and castle were founded about 1270 by King Premysl Ottakar II in the strategic position on the rock above the valley of the Luznice River. First called Hradiste nad Luznici ("Fort Above Luznice"), the town was soon destroyed. The Kotnovcastle, later called was built in the 14th century near the old road to the town Sezimovo Usti. In 1420 the Hussites built a new town called Hradiste hory Tabor ("Fort of the Tabor Mountain") around the castle. Again a royal town in 1437, the second town walls were added during the 1430's and 1440's making Tabor the best fortified town in Europe. Tabor was besieged for one year by Emperor's army and captured during the Thirty Years War. All properties and holding rights were lost. The Swedish invaded in 1648. The town revived in the 19th century with the arriva of industry and railroads. Only remains of the town walls, the Zizka's bastion, the upper waterworks, and the tower renovated into Renaissance style have been preserved. The Bechynska Brana (Bechyne Gate) below the round tower of the Kotnov castle has been created from four original gates. The castle was destroyed at the turn of the 17th century and the tower was rebuilt into a observation tower. The center of the historical part of the town is Zizka's Square. On the western side is the Late-Gothic town hall and a town museum with entry to the old cellars via underground corridors running beneath the historical center. A Renaissance fountain with a statue of a knight from 1567 is in the center of the square. In front of the Church of Transfiguration of Christ there are sculptures from the workshop of I. F. Platzer from 1775 and the monument to the Hussite leader Jan Zizka. Late-Gothic and Renaissance houses built between 1532 and 1559 stand around all the Zizka's Square. Jordan's pond from the 15th century is the oldest functional water reservoir in Bohemia. [February 2009] map and photos
TABOR: (I) US Commission No. CZCE000262
Tabor is located in Bohemia, Tabor at 49°25' N, 14°40' E , 48 km NNE of Ceske Budejovice and 47 miles S of Praha (Prague). The old cemetery is 500 m SW of old square, in Korandova Street. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
- Town: Mestsky Urad, Referat Kultury, 390 01 Tabor; tel. 0361/230-01, mayor: RNDr. Jiri Vanicek.
- Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury, Zizkovo namesti 11, 390 01 Tabor; tel. 0361/226-45; and ZNO Praha, Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25.
- Interested: Muzeum, Krizkova 31, 390 01 Tabor; tel. 0361/222-42; and Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85.
Earliest known Jewish community was first half of 17th century. Ancestors of conductor Otto Klemperer (1885-1973) lived here. The probably unlandmarked Jewish cemetery originated in 1634 with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial in late 19th century. Regional rabbi Guttmann Klemperer (died 1884) is buried here. The urban hillside, separate but near cemeteries, has a Czech sign or plaque mentioning the Holocaust. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a continuous masonry wall and non-locking gate. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII was 0.1684 ha s and is now 0.6184 ha.
No stones are in original location. The rough stones or boulders and one symbolical stone were placed here after WWII. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims but no known mass graves or structures. The municipality probably owns the site used for Jewish cemetery and park. Adjacent properties are park, former old municipal cemetery, and residential. Private visitors and local residents visit park frequently. Vandalism occurred during World War II and never in 1981-91. Local/municipal authorities and regional/national authorities did restoration before 1956 and occasionally after authorities cleared or cleaned. Slight threat: uncontrolled access and vandalism.
Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 25 June 1992. Documentation: Hugo Gold: Die Juden...Bohemens..(1934): Die aussaen unter Tranen mit Jubel Werden sie ernten (1959); Vestnik ZNO, XI, 3; cadastre of 1830, 1856. Other documentation was inaccessible. No site visits or interviews occurred.
TABOR II: US Commission No. CZCE000263
The new cemetery is located 500 m NNE of old square, between Ceskoslovenske Srmady, Kapitana Jarose and Dukeskych Bojovniku Streets. The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery originated about 1896 with last known Conservative or Progressive/Reform Jewish burial before 1943. The flat urban location has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via no wall, fence, or gate. The pre- and post-WWII size is 0.3864 ha.
The cemetery contains no known mass graves or stones but has a transformer [sic]. The municipality owns the property used for park and playground. Adjacent properties are residential. Private visitors and local residents stop visit park and playground frequently. Vandalism occurred during World War II and never in 1981-91. Now, authorities occasionally clean or clear. See Tabor I for survey information.