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This project seeks to identify and collect Jewish persons and family connected to the small town of Holice(Holitz) in the Pardubice region of the Czech Republic, 68 miles East of Prague.
Holice v Čechách, Holitz. 50°04' N 16°00' E, 67.6 miles E of Praha. Holice serves as center of microregion with villages: Býšť, Dobříkov, Dolní Roveň, Dolní Ředice, Horní Jelení, Horní Ředice, Chvojenec, Jaroslav, Ostřetín, Poběžovice u Holic, Radhošť, Trusnov, Týnišťko, Uhersko, Veliny and Vysoké Chvojno.
US Commission No. ZCE000230: Alternate name: Holitz in German. Holice is located in Bohemia, Pardubice at 50º05 16º00, 16 km ENE of Paradubice and 20 km SE of Hradec Kralove. Cemetery is 400 m SSE. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews. Town: Mestsky Urad, 534 01 Holice v Cechach, mayor: Engineer Jaroslav Skala; tel. (0456) 2201 or 2041. Regional: Okresni Urad, Referat Kultury namesti Osvobozeni 12, 530 02 Paradubice; tel. (040) 215-95; and Zidovska nabozenska ovec Praha (Ms. Jana Wolfova), Maislova 18, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-69-25 and Pamatkovy Ustav Vychodnich Cech zamek, 530 02 Pardubice. Interested: Muzeum vychodnich Cech zamek, 532 02 Paradubice; tel. (040) 210-53 and Statni Zidovske Muzeum, Jachymova 3, 110 01 Praha 1; tel. 02/231-06-34 or 231-07-85 and former local historian Pavel Hladik, Kulturni dum; tel. (0456) 2676, Holubova 1/768, 534 01 Holice. Earliest known Jewish community was after 1860. 1930 Jewish population was 40. Jewish community increased in second half of the 19th century with Jews moving to big towns in the 20th century. In 1850, only 4 [?] Jewish families or 94 persons lived in Holice; the independent congregation disbanded in 1930. Native of town is Jan Kacer (1936), film and theatre director and actor.
The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery originated in 1913 with last known Progressive/Reform Jewish burial in 1951. The suburban crown of a hill, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a broken fence and non-locking gate. The pre- and post-WWII size of cemetery is 0.1287 ha. 1-20 stones are all in original locations. The 20th century marble, granite, limestone and sandstone tombstones flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew and Czech inscriptions. Some have portraits on stones. The cemetery contains no known mass graves or structures. Praha Jewish community owns the site used only as a Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural and a municipal cemetery. Occasionally, private visitors stop. This cemetery was not vandalized. Jewish groups within the country did restoration after 1981 but no maintenance now. Moderate threat: uncontrolled access, vegetation and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion and pollution. Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4; tel. (02) 69-20-350 and Jiri Fiedler, z"l, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed survey on June 7, 1992. Documentation: Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries of Bohemia and Moravia, 1980; Pardubicko, Holicko, Preloucsko, III, 1909-1926; Jahrbuch fur die israelische Cultusgemeinden Bohemens, 1894-95; and letters of local historian P. Hladik, 1983-84. No site visits or interviews occurred. Last Updated on Monday, 19 September 2011 17:16