New Jewish Cemetery, Prague

New Jewish Cemetery

Entrance gate
Details
Established 1889–1990
Location Prague-Žižkov
Country Czech Republic
Coordinates 50°4′52″N 14°28′34″E / 50.08111°N 14.47611°ECoordinates: 50°4′52″N 14°28′34″E / 50.08111°N 14.47611°E
Type Judaic
Style Art nouveau
Owned by The Jewish Community in Prague

The New Jewish Cemetery (Czech: Nový židovský hřbitov) in Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic, was established in 1891 to relieve the space problem at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague. It is about 10 times bigger than the Old Jewish Cemetery and provides space for approximately 100,000 graves, therefore having the capacity to serve for a whole century.[1] There is also a specially designated area for urns, though the Jewish tradition does not allow cremation. The cemetery is still in use today and operated by the Jewish Community in Prague.

The cemetery is noted for its many art nouveau monuments, among them, two monuments for members of the Perutz family by Jan Kotěra, the monument to artist Max Horb by Jan Štursa in the form of a mourning peacock, and many remarkable works of the decorative and sculptural arts in florid art nouveau style by less well-known artists.[2] One of the more elaborate tombs belongs to the Waldes family; the tomb is decorated with two busts, the last pieces of art made by the important Czech sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek, creator of the Wenceslas Square famous statue of St. Wenceslas.

Notable burials

References

  1. , Pražská Informační Služba
  2. Marie vitochova Jindrichkjer and Jiri Vsetecka, Prague and Art Nouveau, translation by Denis Rath and Mark Prescott, Prague: V Raji, 1995.

External links

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