Třebíč Jewish Quarter
| Jewish quarter in Třebíč | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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| The Jewish quarter on the banks of the Jihlava |
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| National territory: |
 Czech Republic
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | (ii, iii) |
| Reference No .: | 1078 |
| UNESCO region : | Europe and North America |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 2003 (session 27) |
The Jewish quarter in Třebíč (Czech. Třebíčská židovská čtvrť ) is one of the largest Jewish quarters in the Czech Republic with two synagogues and 123 preserved houses and is located in the town of Třebíč in western Moravia . As one of the best preserved Jewish ghettos in Europe, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003. The neighborhood is north of the Jihlava (Hedgehog) River, while the Christian Quarter is south of the river.
history
The Jewish quarter was first mentioned in 1338 in the Nuremberg Martyrology and later in 1410 in the Iglau Book of Expellees. Jews settled in Třebíč as craftsmen , but until 1618 they were only allowed to work as tanners , traders and moneylenders or to produce alcohol . Despite the discriminatory provisions of the family laws , which in 1726 by Charles VI. were introduced, which forced numerous Moravian Jews to emigrate and were valid until well into the 19th century, the quarter developed into the largest Jewish ghetto in Moravia with 1170 inhabitants by the beginning of the 19th century.
After the Jews were granted full civil rights in 1848 and were free to choose their place of residence, the residents of the neighborhood increasingly began to emigrate to the larger cities such as Vienna , Prague and Brno , and Christians began to settle in the vacant houses. The quarter changed from a Jewish ghetto to a working-class neighborhood.
During the Second World War , the remaining 281 Jews were deported to concentration camps, only ten survived the war. The greater part of them then emigrated to the USA or Israel , the Jewish community ceased to exist and the district increasingly fell into disrepair.
In the 1970s, the destruction of the historic buildings only failed because the funds for a new building were lacking. After extensive restoration work, the quarter was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003.
tour
At the entrance to the district, the first thing that catches the eye is a well-preserved house (L.Pokorného 2) with an arcade supported by three columns . The house has a Renaissance core and was once the end of the Jewish quarter. Right next to the house was a gate that was locked at night as well as on Sundays and public holidays. The gate was demolished in 1873.
A few meters further you will find a town house (L. Pokorného 5) with a one-pillar corner arbor, typical of the district. Most of the time there were shops or craft workshops on the ground floor, while the upper floors were used as apartments. Like most of the houses in the district, this one also has a supporting pillar.
Opposite is the city's Jewish Town Hall , built in 1899 on the foundations of an older Renaissance building (L.Pokorného 8). From 1849 to 1931 the council of the politically independent Jewish community of Třebíč was located here. In the town hall there was also a mikveh , a ritual immersion bath that the believers used for symbolic cleansing.
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Right next to the town hall is the first of the city's two synagogues, the so-called Front Synagogue (Tiché nám. 12). The original wooden synagogue was replaced here from 1639 to 1642 by a baroque synagogue; it was given its current neo-Gothic form in 1856/57. It offered space for 114 male and 80 female prayers; its roof is supported by a vaulted vault . Since 1954 it has been used for the services of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church .
Behind the synagogue is the rabbi's house (Tiché nám. 4), built in the 17th century in the Baroque style , which catches the eye with its mighty buttress. The rabbi of the community lived here.
The next interesting house in the neighborhood is the parish poorhouse (Blahoslavova 23). The house served the poor in the 19th century and is to be understood as a kind of charitable institution . The building itself is unusual in that it has entrances on several levels.
The Rear Synagogue , built in 1669, is located on Subakova Street and catches the eye with its mighty walls and pillars. The interior of the synagogue is decorated with wall paintings from the 18th century and is now used as a museum. A special feature of the building is the women's gallery in the upper part. It could only be reached by stairs that are located in an adjoining residential building. During the services , the women could only get into the synagogue through this house. The owner of the house was therefore obliged to give women access to his house. Today there is an exhibition on Jewish culture in the women's gallery.
Right next to the synagogue is the Jewish community building (Subakova 3) , built in the first half of the 19th century . It now serves as the seat of the Fond Třebíč , which coordinates the renovation of the district.
A few meters further on, at the eastern end of the district, is the old tannery . As early as the end of the 18th century, a small tannery developed on this site, which gradually grew into a large industrial company. The business, which belonged to the Subak family, was closed in 1931.
The municipality's hospital is located on the northern edge of the district . Until the two-story hospital was built in 1852, sick people were treated in the parish hall. The new building was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and was managed by chief physician Sigmund Schuschny. A path leads from the hospital to the Jewish cemetery.
Jewish Cemetery
In the early Middle Ages, the Jewish cemetery was still located near the Benedictine monastery, but this cemetery was destroyed during the siege by the Hungarian troops of King Matthias Corvinus in 1468 and rebuilt in the 17th century at the current location north of the Jewish quarter. The oldest of the approximately 3,000 tombstones dates from 1625. With almost 12 hectares, the cemetery is one of the largest and is considered one of the best-maintained and preserved Jewish cemeteries in the Czech Republic.
At the entrance to the cemetery is the mourning hall, built in 1903 . In the interior, the porcelain wash bowl is particularly eye-catching. The mourning hall is still used today for mourning ceremonies.
See also
- 17th century mikvah
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 13 '2 " N , 15 ° 52' 38" E
Heritage: Old Town Prague (1992) | Old Town of Český Krumlov (1992) | Old town of Telč (1992) | Zelená Hora pilgrimage church (1994) | Old town of Kutná Hora with the Cathedral of St. Barbara and St. Mary's Church in Sedlec (1995) | Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (1996) | Historic village of Holašovice (1998) | Kroměříž Castle and Park (1998) | Litomyšl Castle (1999) | Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc (2000) | Villa Tugendhat (2001) | Jewish Quarter and Basilica of St. Prokop in Třebíč (2003) | Kladruby nad Labem (2019) | Ore Mountains / Krušnohoří Mining Region (2019)