The Jewish Quarter lies on the left bank of the Jihlava river in Třebíč. It consists of dense development of narrow alleys, passages and houses connected by arched passages, verandas and balconies, which, according to the operator of the tourist information centre, is among the best-preserved in Europe in urbanistic terms [1].
History
According to one of the sources, the first Jewish merchants were probably active here as early as the 13th century, while the first written mention of Jews in Třebíč dates from 1338 [1][2]. The quarter on the left bank of the Jihlava took shape gradually over several centuries and reached its greatest flourishing in the second half of the 17th century [1].
In 1723 the owner of the Třebíč estate, Jan Josef of Waldstein, ordered an exchange of houses between Christians and Jews so that a separate ghetto would arise [1]. For up to a hundred years afterwards, up to 1,800 inhabitants lived there under conditions of restricted movement between the two religious communities [2]. The ghetto was officially abolished in 1848 [1]. After the emancipation of the Jews in the second half of the 19th century, the residents of the quarter could move to other parts of the town and elsewhere [1][2].
During the Second World War the Jews of Třebíč were deported to concentration camps. According to one source, almost 300 inhabitants lived in the quarter before the deportations, of whom only a few returned [1]; according to the second source, there were 281 Jews from Třebíč, of whom only a few individuals survived the Holocaust [2]. Those who returned no longer had the strength to renew the community, and the Jewish community in Třebíč ceased to exist [1].
Unlike many other Jewish quarters, the one in Třebíč was not razed to the ground, and in the 1990s it underwent extensive renovation [2]. The renovation of the most valuable building of the quarter, the Rear Synagogue in Blahoslavova Street, took place from 1988 to 1997 [3].
Appearance and monuments
According to the National Heritage Institute, the preserved development is exceptionally dense, the cores and layouts of the houses are mainly Renaissance and Baroque and contain numerous stylistic details; many houses are interconnected, and the structure of the quarter is completed by dark passages, narrow alleys and cellar passages [3]. Today the quarter comprises more than a hundred preserved buildings, including two synagogues, a communal house, the rabbi's house, a poorhouse, a hospital and a school [1]. Next to the Rear Synagogue stands the Seligmann Bauer House, where a reconstructed Jewish kitchen, bedroom and shop are open to the public [2].
The heritage ensemble also includes the Jewish cemetery on the northern slope of the Hrádek hill, containing almost three thousand stone gravestones and a ceremonial hall from 1903 [3]. According to information from the tourist centre, after the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague this cemetery is the second largest of its kind in Czechia [2].
The dominant landmark of Třebíč is the complex of the former Benedictine monastery founded in 1101 with the late Romanesque Basilica of St. Procopius, whose interior with its vaults, large crypt and richly profiled entrance portal is, according to the National Heritage Institute, among the most remarkable monuments of medieval building [3].
Protection and status
The Jewish Quarter was inscribed in 2003 on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List together with the Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St. Procopius with the castle complex [1][3]. According to the operator of the tourist information centre, the value of the monument lies in the fact that on a single territory Christians and Jews lived side by side for centuries, two distinct ethnic groups of different religion, culture and traditions, without major conflicts [1].
Visiting
According to the tourist information centre, the Rear Synagogue is open to visitors, while the Jewish quarter itself is freely accessible [1]. The information centre offers guided tours with a guide, including a visit to the Antonín Kalina Memorial Hall and the exhibition Children of Antonín Kalina [1]. Circuit I combines a tour of the Rear Synagogue with a tour of the Seligmann Bauer House and a walk through the quarter lasting 1.5 to 2 hours; circuit II additionally includes a visit to the Jewish cemetery and lasts 2 to 2.5 hours; for larger groups the centre recommends setting aside more time [1].