Nový židovský hřbitov v Benešově Jewish cemetery

Welcome to Benešov. You have just entered the space where time has stopped and where every stone tells its own irreplaceable story. You are standing outside the gate of the New Jewish Cemetery, located in the street K Pazderna. Feel this quiet atmosphere that surrounds you. In front of you, an area of more than two and a half thousand square meters is spread, which served as a final resting place for the Jewish community. If you look around you, you'll see approximately 300 tombstones. Some of them are still clearly readable, others have been slowly scrubbed by time, but they all together form silent testimonies about the people who lived in this city and region, working and leaving their mark.

Let's stop at the beginning of this place. The new Jewish cemetery was founded in 1883. At that time, the original burial ground was no longer sufficient and therefore this new place was built. It is important to remember that this space is not only a set of graves, but is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This means that the State recognises its extraordinary historical and cultural value. The cemetery has served for funerals for several decades, until the tragic events of World War II, which forever changed the fate of Jewish communities throughout Europe, including the benešovsky one.

Now pay attention to the architecture that follows you here. Although the authors of most buildings are unknown, the overall nature of the complex speaks for itself. Look at the ceremonial hall. It is performed in the style of historicism, which was the direction that in the foreign century drew inspiration from earlier epoch. Notice her appearance and see how this building dominates in the cemetery space. But this hall no longer serves its original function. At present, it serves as a monument to Holocaust victims. It is a place of deep sadness, but also a place of necessary memory, so that the tragedy of the past will never be repeated. I suggest you think about how the function of this building has changed from a place of parting with loved ones to a place of all-together reminiscing of hate victims.

Now, if you move slowly further into the compound, start looking for specific names. This place is closely linked to personalities of considerable importance in the region. Note, for example, the tomb of the Steindler family. You will find here a resting place of Morice Steindler, who was in Benešov a recognized businessman, owner of a brick and distillery. His son Josef Steindler left an even deeper mark in the history of the city because he held the position of mayor of Benešov. It is fascinating to see how members of the Jewish community were fully integrated into the life of the city and how important roles in its governance and development played. In addition to the Steindler family, you will find the graves of Moses Mán and Rudolf Mán, which are other names that were important to the local community.

Now, I want to take you to one of the most moving places in the entire area. We're looking for the grave of 13 French prisoners. This story returns us to 1945, to the days of the end of World War II. These men were transported to Benešova in a railway transport, in conditions that were completely inhuman. Their death and subsequent burial here, in the Jewish cemetery, is a freezing reminder of the suffering the war brought. It's symbolic that these strangers found their last peace right here. Imagine the contrast between the silence of today's landscape and the chaos and horror these people have experienced in their last hours.

You might find one interesting thing about the tombstones themselves. If you look closely at the stones, you may notice that some of them look different than others. This is because in 1984 the transfer of historical tombstones started here from the old Jewish cemetery. This step has ensured that precious stones and inscriptions from the original, older burial ground are preserved for future generations and that oblivion or extinction is not forfeited. This process has brought together two years of Jewish existence in Benešov in one place.

Now, when you look around you, consider this cemetery an open book. Every tombstone, every name and every date are the lines in the story of the community that helped build this city. It is a place where a personal tragedy meets the great history of states and nations. From the mayor of the city to an anonymous foreign prisoner, everyone here shares the same space and the same silence.

I now allow you to quietly examine the rest of the premises. Walk between the tombstones, stop by the names that interest you, and let your thoughts float freely. Note the details on the stones, perceive the game of light and shadow in the ceremonial hall space and consider what it means for us to remember those who are no longer with us. This cemetery is not only a place of death but, above all, a place of life testimony.

Thank you for coming through the corners of the New Jewish Cemetery in Benešov. I hope this visit helped you better understand the history of this city and the people who made it. I wish you the rest of the day and an inspirational continuation of your journey to the sights of our region. Goodbye.