Jewish cmentry:
STRAKONICE: US Commission No. CZCE000311
Alternate name: Strakonitz, Neu-Strakonitz, Neustrakonitz, Besdiekow or Beskiekau (before 1869) and Nove Strakonice; Bezdekov (before 1869) in Hungarian. Strakonice is located in Bohemia, Strakonice at 49º16 13º54, 54 km NW of Ceske Budejovice and 18 km WSW of Pisek. Cemetery: 1600 m WSW of castle near road leading to Drachkov. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
Town: Mestsky Urad, Revolucni namesti 2, 386 01 Strakonice; tel. 0342/223-01; Mayor Josef Strebl (tel. 0342/233-77) and Vice Mayor's tel. 0342/228-23. Local: Mestsky Urad-oddeleni kultury; tel. 0342/233-17.
Regional: Okresni Urad-Referat Kultury, 386 01 Strakonice; tel. 0342/242-20. Jewish Congregation: Ms. Jana Wolfova, Zidovska Nabozenska Obec v Praze, Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25 and Pamatkovy ustav, namesti Premysla Otakara 34, 370 21 Ceske Budejovice; tel. 038/237-92.
Interested: Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85 and Muzeum stedniho Pootavi, hrad, 386 11 Strakonice, Dr. J.Z. Cvrcek, Husova 359, 386 01 Strakonice.
Key holders: Antonie Kettnerova, ulice B. Nemcove 577/2, 386 01 Strakonice (member of Jewish congregation) and Mr. Kalisek, Technicke sluzby, 386 01 Strakonice; tel. 0342/210-45.
Earliest known Jewish community was late 17th century. 1930 Jewish population was 169. Jewish fez manufacturers and factories were here since 1811 as main local industry. Peak Jewish population was in late 19th century (over 300 people). Jews moved to big towns in 20th century. Owners of fez factories (Furth, Gutfreund, Stein, Weill, and Zucker, etc. families) lived here. Native town of Austrian physiologist and biochemist Otto von Fuerth (1867-1938), of director of Milan music academy Ricardo Pick-Mangiagalli (1882-1949), of American writer and journalist Owen Elford (formerly Otto Furth) born 1894. The landmarked cemetery (Monument of First Category) Jewish cemetery originated about 1700 with last known Conservative Jewish burial legible 1967. Buried in the cemetery are rabbis, noblemen von Furth and other manufacturing families. Osek (Ger: Wossek) before local cemetery was founded in first half of 19th century and Pisek before 1879, 8 km and 18 km away, used this cemetery. The suburban flat isolated site has a Czech sign or plaque ("Cultural Monument"). Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission via continuous masonry wall and locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.2827 ha. 100-500 stones, all in original location, date from 1736-20th century. Marble, granite, limestone, sandstone and iron flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, sculpted monuments, multi-stone monuments,or obelisks have Hebrew, German and Czech inscriptions. Some tombstones have bronze decorations or lettering, portraits on stones, and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery has special section for children but no known mass graves. Within the limits of the site is a pre-burial house with glazed prayer in frame and two biers as well as a wall. Praha Jewish community owns cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred 1945-1981. Jewish individuals and groups within country did restoration after WWII, in 1989 and occasionally. Jewish congregation does occasional clearing. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion, vegetation and vandalism.
Vlastmila Hamackova, Zabelska 37, Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4; tel. 02/69-20-350 and Jiri Fiedler, Brickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on 23 November 1992. Documentation: censuses of 1724 and 1930; Hugo Gold: Die Juden und Judengemeinden Bohemens (1934); Jahrbuch fur die israelische Cultusgemeinden Bohemens (1894-1895); Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries of Bohemia and Moravia (1980); notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha; research notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha (1965). The site was not visited. Mrs. Kettnerova and Mrs. Hinkova from Mestsky Urad Strakonice, both in 1992 were interviewed