STARY ZIDOVSKY HRBITOV

© Herbert Heissler - 5.7.2002

Part of Jewish Museum in Prague
It was established in the first half of the 15th century and it is, together with the Old-new Synagogue, among the most important preserved monuments of the Jewish town. The oldest gravestone, belonging to a scholar and poet Abigdor Kar, comes from 1439. Last burial took place in 1787 and there is over 12 000 gravestones today.

Probably the most prominent person buried in the cemetery is a religious scholar and pedagogue Rabbi Jehuda Liwa ben Becalel, also called Rabbi Löw (+ 1609), who is who is associated with the legend of the Golem. Among the many others also: the Mayor of the Jewish Town Mordechai Maisel (+ 1601), a historian, mathematician and astronomer David Gans (+ 1613), a scientist and poly-historian Joseph Solomon Delmedigo (+ 1655), and Rabbi and collector of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books David Oppenheim(+ 1736).