Regionální muzeum v Mikulově

The Jewish Cemetery in Mikulov

The beginnings of the Jewish settlement in Mikulov go back 650 years. Mikulov was closest place Jews could flee to after they were expelled from Vienna and Lower Austria in 1421 and again in 1670. It was also a strategic point on the trade route from Vienna to Brno. In Mikulov the local nobility welcomed the Jewish community and allowed it to quickly prosper until it grew into the largest Jewish community in Moravia. For three hundred years - from the mid-16^th to the mid-19^th centuries - it was the political, religious, and cultural center of the Moravian Jews, led by the regional rabbi. From the 16^th century Mikulov's Jewish community had its own elected officials and constable. There was a major school of Talmudic studies (yeshiva), and the Jews became outstanding merchants and artisans. They traded in general goods, livestock, leather, wine, wool, and feathers, and especially in money. They had their own schools, shops, spas, houses of prayer, and cemetery.

For generations Mikulov's famous cemetery was the place where the local Jews ended their earthly travels. The cemetery must have been founded not long after the Jewish settlement was established, in the mid-15^th century at latest. It was expanded several times; even so lack of space probably led to the necessity of burying the dead one atop the other. Today the cemetery covers an area of nearly two hectares. Probably in the mid-19^th century hundreds of old tombstones were used to support the earth along some of the trails between sections.

The Jewish community in Mikulov is an extraordinary burial grounds with Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicist gravestones, the artisanship of which provided a model for other Jewish cemeteries in South Moravia. Of its 4,000 or so tombstones, the oldest legible dates from 1605.

The most interesting gravestones date from the 17^th century. They are rectangular or square slabs with two pilasters framing an inscription and a segmented or triangular head with elaborate relief. On 18^th-century tombstones elements of Moravian folk art are often found - hearts, roses, or tulips; others are decorated with the motif of a mussel, a typical Mikulov decorative element. More modern gravestones from the late 19^th century are similar to Christian ones - tall granite obelisks and elaborate memorials.
The most valuable part of the cemetery is the so-called Rabbis' Hill, where rest some of the most legendary Moravian regional rabbis such as Menachem Mendl Krochmal (died 1637), Shemuel Shmelke Horowitz (1778) a Mordecaj Benet (1829) - the destination of pilgrims from around the world.

The cemetery contains a monument to 25 Jewish soldiers fallen on the battlefields of the First World War, and a memorial to 21 Jewish prisoners from Hungary murdered here at the end of World War II. A large ceremonial hall stood near the cemetery entrance to accommodate the Jews' elaborate services for the departed. The author of this structure of eclectic historical style was Max Fleischer (1841-1905), an important Moravian Jewish architect working in Vienna, who also designed many synagogues throughout the Austrian monarchy.
The Second World War put a dramatic end to the history of Mikulov's Jewish community, and the cemetery ceased to receive new burials. For many years the deserted ceremonial hall served as a storehouse for building materials. In 2000-2006 the Jewish community in Brno - the cemetery's owner - undertook extensive renovation of the hall, which today is used for exhibits.

In May 2009 a bronze plaque on the building was unveiled, the work of sculptor Nikos Armutidis, dedicated to Yehuda Löw ben Becalel (prob. 1525 Poznan - 1609 Praha), who served as Moravia's highest rabbi in 1553-1573. This renowned philosopher was known to the public as the famous Rabbi Löw, and the four hundredth anniversary of his birth was celebrated in 2009 on the UNESCO cultural calendar.
The Association of Friends of Jewish Culture in Mikulov, in cooperation with the Jewish community in Brno, has installed an exposition in the ceremonial hall devoted to the history of the cemetery and the tradition of the Jewish funeral ritual. It describes these rites with examples of men's and women's funeral attire, and extremely valuable, perfectly preserved funeral carriage. The exhibit explains the role of the funereal brotherhood, describes the cemetery, and explains the symbolism of the tombstones' decoration. It explores the remarkable aspects of the Jewish Mikulov, explains the institution of the Moravian regional rabbinate, and tells about some of the town's famous people. For the visitor the exposition is a bonus: of course, the main "exhibit" is the cemetery itself. Protected as an important cultural monument, it is one of the largest cemeteries in the country, and the most important Jewish cemetery in Moravia.

Map of the Jewish Cemetery in Mikulov

TOUR OF THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN MIKULOV
Visitation is organized by the Association of Friends of Jewish Culture in Mikulov.
• The cemetery is open to the public in July and August daily from 10 to 12 and 13 to 18. An informed and language-capable guide is available upon request.
• At other times the key may be lent out against a returnable deposit by prior agreement with the Tourist Information Center, Merlin Travel Agency, or at the synagogue.
• When the above institutions are closed, entrance and a tour by a member of the association may be arranged for a fee of 500 CZK by calling: +420 731 484 464.

Tourist Information Center in Mikulov
Náměstí 1, 692 01 Mikulov
tel.: +420 519 510 855
e-mail: tic@mikulov.cz, info@infomikulov.cz
http://www.mikulov.cz, www.mikulovskoregion.cz

Travel Agency Merlin
Kostelní náměstí 2, 692 01 Mikulov
tel.: +420 519 510 388
e-mail: info@ckmerlin.cz

Synagogue (Husova Street)
Regional Museum in Mikulov
Zámek 1, 692 15 Mikulov
tel.: +420 519 309 019
e-mail: rmm@rmm.cz
http://www.rmm.cz

Fotogalery - 41 foto

Text - PDF 314 kB