Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague
Cemetery in Prague
The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague is one of the most hauntingly beautiful and historically significant burial sites in Europe. Established in the early 15th century, it served as the principal burial ground for Prague’s Jewish community until 1787. Restricted by the physical boundaries of the ghetto and forbidden from expanding outward, the cemetery adapted by layering graves—sometimes up to 12 deep. This has created a strikingly uneven landscape where over 12,000 weathered tombstones lean and crowd together, yet they mark only a portion of the many thousands more resting beneath. The effect is both moving and surreal—a silent, sacred forest of memory carved in stone.
Though early gravestones were plain, the designs evolved over the centuries into richly symbolic markers of remembrance. By the 17th century, many featured sculpted pilasters, volutes, decorative portals, and family emblems. Every tombstone bears Hebrew inscriptions, detailing the name of the deceased, the date of passing or burial, and often a short eulogy. From the Renaissance onward, these epitaphs grew more expressive, often praising the virtues or piety of the departed. Iconographic symbols—such as lions, deer, books, or hands—hinted at the individual’s name, character, tribe, or profession, providing a visual language of remembrance that still speaks to modern visitors.
Among the cemetery’s most revered graves is that of Avigdor Kara, a 15th-century poet whose gravestone, though preserved in the Maisel Synagogue for protection, marks the earliest known burial in the cemetery. Yet the most visited and legendary tomb belongs to Rabbi Jehuda Loew ben Bezalel, known as Rabbi Löw, who died in 1609. A towering figure in Jewish scholarship and mysticism, he is widely credited in folklore with creating the Golem of Prague—a mythical clay figure brought to life to defend the Jewish community. To this day, visitors insert handwritten notes into the crevices of his tombstone, offering prayers and personal wishes in the hope that they will be granted.
Why You Should Visit:
The Old Jewish Cemetery is more than a historic site—it’s a place of profound reflection. Each tilted tombstone tells a story of faith, endurance, and cultural legacy in a city that has seen both triumph and tragedy. Walking its narrow paths is an emotional journey into centuries of Prague’s Jewish heritage, a space where memory is palpable and deeply personal.
The Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Prague!
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Visiting Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague
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