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BRANDYS NAD LABEM: Prague East, Bohemia PDF Print E-mail

Alternate names: Brandýs nad Labem [Cz], Brandeis an der Elbe [Ger], Brandeis, Brandije, Brandýs na Labe. 50°11' N, 14°40' E, 11 miles NE of Praha (Prague). In 1960, two towns joined to form "Brandýs nad Labem - Stará Boleslav". 1921 Jewish population: 272.

website in Czech with photos: "The landmarked cemetery is located 400 meters NW of the square in the street leading to Kostelec Kostelec nad Labem. Establishedin 1568 when city officials issued a consent that was extended in 1696 and 1877. More significant changes seen in 1848 when the road from the front was built to a new cemetery with a building whose left side served as a mortuary and the right side for a gravedigger and cemetery manager residence. Today the cemetery is 6,884 square meters. The oldest tombstone dates from 1572. Others from the 16th century are black sandstone. Tombstones from the 17th and 18 century are marblewith the names of deceased and symbols, such as a lion. Notable are sandstone gravestones from the early 19th century, decorated with numerous sculptures like the crown or a dove). The marble tomb of Rabbi Menachem Mendel (1678 - 1712), who was Talmudist and Kabbalist, has typically th18 century decoration: pilasters. 1585 gravestones of Renaissance tomb scholar Solomon bar Elii is decorated with floral motifs. The house set in a wall over tomb of Moshe ben Zalman Satan from Prague in 1690 exists. In 1857 daughter of Rabbi Bernard Mendel was buried. In 1883 MD. Johann Bondy, doctor of Brandýs manor estate; in 1895 brewer Ignaz Freund, who died aged 80; in 1897, industrialist Ferdinand Janowitz, who died at the age of 81; and in 1933 attorney JUDr. Richard Ullmann. During WWI, a few Galician refugees were buried: two in 1915, three in 1916 and one in 1918. Last Jews were buried there in 1942 include William Seidemann, age of 81 years , and in November 1942 freeholders Lustigová Kamil, died aged 72 of liver cancer. There are also graves of Jews expelled from Prague by Maria Theresa. On several tombstones in the newer parts are carved inscriptions for persons who perished in Auschwitz. Tombstones of Renaissance and Baroque type exist. In total taround 1500 tombs and a ceremonial hall from 1848 with the hearse.  In Soring 2002 a permanent exhibition on the history of Jews in the county Vojtech Austria opened. In the framework of the restoration of urban conservation areas in 1995 - 2000, first cemetery renovated house, then the enclosing wall. Currently fallen tombstones are to be raised and restoration of historic tombstones, while desirable, given the threat of extinction of inscriptions, which are a unique source of information about the life of the individual personalities, should continue in the coming years. The last stage of restoration work will be preserving the hearse. Reconstruction of the Brandys nad Labem synagogue (1787/1828) was done to use as a storage facility for the Prague Jewish Museum's archive collections." [February 2009 and September 2011]

partial burial list [February 2009]

Prague, The Jewish exhibition catelogmetery at Brandys nad Labem, 206, article p.000206, 6/15/1990, "HAMACKOVA Vlastimila, SEDINOVA Jirina", title "in Judaica Bohemiae, Volume XVIII/1", Judaica Bohemiae, 1982, pp. 43-49,English, source: Daniel Dratwa. The book is among the collection at the Jewish Museum of Belgium.

US Commission No. CZCE0000217

Alternate names are Brandeis (German) and Brandejs (Yiddish) at 50º 11 14º 40, in Praha-vychod [Prague-E], Bohemia. Cemetery: 450 meters NW of square in Kostelecka Street. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.

  • Town: Mestsky Urad, 250 01 Brandys nad Labem; tel. 0202/ 2555 or 2521 and Mayor: Mr. Jakoubek; Secretary: Jan Vanecek.
  • Regional: 1. Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury (JUDr. Vojna), namesti Republiky 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/23-66-565 and 23-560-363; and 2. Zidovska Nabozenska Obec, (Ms. Jana Wolfova), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/2318664.
  • Interested: 1. Okresni Muzeum, namesti 9 kvetna 97, 250 o1 Brandys nad Labem; and 2. Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85.
  • Caretaker with key: Frantisek Stuchlik, Kostelecka 1212 6/12, 250 01 Brandys nad Labem.

Earliest known Jewish community dates from mid-16th century. 1930 Jewish population (census) was 60. Jews were banished from 1559 until about 1565. Jews moved to Prague and Vienna after 1848. Noteworthy individuals: ancestors of Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941.) Jewish cemetery originated 1568. Tzadakkim and other noteworthy Jews buried in the landmarked cemetery: rabbis, land-scrivener Menachem ben Jaonas Mendl in first half of the 19th century with last known Conservative or Reform Jewish burial before 1943. The isolated suburban flat land has a Czech sign saying "Cultural Monument" and Hebrew inscriptions on the pre-burial house. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open via a continuous masonry wall and locking gate. Size of cemetery before WWII was 0.5641 ha. Present size of cemetery is about 0.5 ha.

500-1,000 gravestones, some original location and 20-100 walled up in both the walls and mortuary with 25-50% toppled or broken, date from 1572 or 1580 through the 20th century. The marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and metal plate flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, and metal plates, flat stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, sculpted monuments, multi-stone monuments, obelisks, or tumbas have Hebrew, German, and/or Czech inscriptions. Some tombstones have portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Praha Jewish Congregation owns property used for Jewish cemetery and agriculture (crops or animal grazing.) Properties adjacent are agricultural and residential. Compared to 1939, cemetery boundaries are smaller because of new roads or highways. Occasionally, organized Jewish group tours or pilgrimage group and private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred occasionally in the last ten years. Jewish groups within country before WWII cleared vegetation and fixed wall. Occasionally now the regular caretaker paid by Praha Jewish Congregation, financed by leasing the cemetery building, cares for site. Within the limits of the cemetery is a pre-burial house with a chimney. Weather erosion, vandalism, and vegetation are slight threats. Vegetation overgrowth seasonally prevents access.

Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4, tel 02/ 69-20-350; and 2. Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 5 June 1992. Documentation: 1. Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia (1980) 2. Justin V. Prasek: Brandjs nad Labem

(1908-1910); and 3. Notes of the Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha. Other documentation exists but was too old and not accessible; exact records no. 36, 60, 61, 62 probably in archives of Prague Jewish Congregation. (See listing above) Chmelikova and Fiedler, who interviewed F. Stuchlik, caretaker, visited site in June 1992.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 18:45