Jewish Quarter of Třebíč
A well-preserved former ghetto with two synagogues and an ancient cemetery.
The Jewish Quarter of Třebíč is a former ghetto in the town of Třebíč, western Moravia, Czech Republic, located on the north bank of the River Jihlava. It is one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Europe. In 2003, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the nearby Jewish Cemetery and St. Procopius Basilica, and as of 2013 it was the only Jewish monument outside Israel on that list.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Třebíč, Vysočina Region, Czech Republic
- Part of
- Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč
- Includes
- #Jewish Quarter; #Jewish Cemetery
- Criteria
- (ii) (iii)(ii) (iii)
- Area
- 5.96 ha / 0.023 sq mi
Facts from the source article.
Description
The quarter contains 123 houses and two synagogues, surrounded by rocks and the river. On a hill above stands the Jewish cemetery, holding roughly 4,000 gravestones in two sections: one from the 15th century and another from the 19th. Residential buildings are generally condominium-style, with multiple owners per subdivided house, and the architecture varies widely, even across different aspects of the same house, reflecting centuries of continuous use.
History
The oldest mention of a synagogue in Třebíč is from 1590, though many cemetery gravestones are older. Expulsion orders in the 16th century were not carried out. The older surviving synagogue dates to the mid-1600s. Unusually for Europe, the quarter had its own self-government with an elected magistrate and councilors from the Renaissance. In 1894, the town had a mayor and was called Zamosti. Nearly 1,500 Jews lived there in 1890, but only 300 were of Jewish faith in the 1930s. All original Jewish inhabitants were deported and murdered by Nazis during World War II; only ten returned. Buildings such as the town hall, rabbi's office, hospital, poorhouse, and school no longer serve their original purposes, and houses are now owned by non-Jewish people.
More in World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic
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