Prague – old Jewish cemetery. Tens of thousands of the dead lie here, artists and scholars alike
There are confirmed reports about the cemetery as late as the beginning of the 15th century. Even so, it belongs to the oldest Jewish cemeteries and at the same time the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. For Jews, the cemetery means the house of life. The deceased enters the life to come and also enters the earthly life a second time through his deeds.
People were buried at the cemetery in the center of Old Prague from 1439 to 1787. Its size changed throughout history – it first expanded, then after the demise of the Jewish ghetto, it became smaller. The size was never enough, which is why a lot of tombstones are bought in one place.
Layers of the dead
Since the Jews of Prague did not have enough space to lay their dead to rest, they had to make do with the place they currently had in the center of Prague. Tradition forbids them from disturbing the final resting places. to bury themselves or decisions in layers.
The Jewish Cemetery in Prague 1 is, next to the Old Synagogue, the most important monument of the Jewish Town of Prague
Author: Jan Dařílek
They piled dirt on the old graves and put more bodies in the mound. The number of dead in a mound can be determined by the number of tombstones on top. There are up to 10 layers in the highest mounds. Tombstones here cost 12,000, but the dead number in the tens of thousands.
The age of tombstones can be recognized by their shape and age. The blackened rectangular sandstone slabs date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. During the coming years, marble renaissance tombstones with decorative elements also appear. The beginning of the 17th century brought closed tombs in the style of tents for important personalities.
The stones have been overflowing with symbolism since the 1680s. The sign of abundance and fertility is a grape, the blessing hands signify a descendant of the Kohen priestly family. The Levites have the kettle. Animal symbols express the piety of the deceased, or his surname. Occupation symbols are also common.
Prominent Jews
David Ganz from 1613 is buried right next to the entrance gate. He worked at the court of Rudolph II. Here he met the astronomer Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brah. A monument to the printers Mordechai Katz and his son is located in close proximity.
Mordecai’s father founded a printing house that printed and published for almost 300 years. Not far from the wall is the Renaissance tomb of Rabbi Löw. He was buried in 1609 at the age of 97. None of his predecessors or followers in Prague could match his learning. The woman Pearl is also standing next to him.
The grave became a place of pilgrimage. People leave notes here with personal wishes. According to a Prague legend, Rabbi Löw was so God-loving that the angel of death could not overpower the scholar. The rabbi always eluded him. Death transformed into a rose. The rabbi’s innocent granddaughter gave the rabbi a sniff, and the smell of death penetrated his heart. The very first tomb in the cemetery belongs to Mordechai Maisel. It was built in 1601.
The resting place of Jews who lived in the old Jewish Town Youtube: Jewish Museum in Prague (Jewish Museum in Prague)
The Jewish Cemetery in Prague 1 is, next to the Old Synagogue, the most important monument of the Jewish Town of Prague
Author: Jan Dařílek