Recovering the Lost Jewish Cemetery of Prostějov, Czechia (formerly Prossnitz, Moravia)

The "Old" Jewish cemetery of Prostějov was in use from 1801 until 1908. There was an even older cemetery, but it was completely demolished in the 19th century. Most of the town's Jewish population perished in the Holocaust, with most the approximately 200 survivors leaving the country after World War II. All of the 1,924 tombstones were desecrated circa 1943 and disappeared following World War II. Many of the stones were used as building material in Prostejov and nearby communities. For example, an entire cellar was built of them in the village of Zesov. After World War II, the cemetery became sports ground, and in the 1950s became an amusement park. It is currently a public park where local residents walk their dogs.

New York philanthropist Louis Kestenbaum first drew attention to the cemetery when he was looking for the tomb of Prostejov Rabbi Zvi Horowitz, who died in 1816.

Tomas Jelinek, a former chairman of the Prague Jewish Community, and his team have recovered about 150 headstones and fragments of stones.

Among others, Geni Curators Robert Hanscom, Randy Schoenberg, and Benjamin Schoenbrun have been working to help Jelinek identify the tombstone fragments and document their families, searching for living relatives. Please join if you would like to help. Please also consider helping with the main project, Jewish Families from Prostějov (Prossnitz), Moravia, Czech Republic. Building the trees of other families will help find descendants when the project recovers other gravestones.

Support for this project and finding living relatives will also help recover some of the gravestones still in private hands. Three in the list of Found Tombstones and Fragments, those of Albert Kornitzer, Moses Lewin, and Josefa Selinger remain in private hands, used as pavement in Drozdovice. Tomas Jelinek has asked for help so "we can establish some direct family who could claim via media that those tombstones should be given back."

The main project site is The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prostejov: Rehabilitation of the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prostejov

The project has received some press recently and currently the Prostejov community is resisting commemorating the former cemetery.

• "Antisemitismus in Tschechien: Streit um jüdische Gedenkstätte." Deutschlandfunk, 21 April 2017
• CZ: cemetery restoration triggers backlash. Jewish Heritage Europe, June 13, 2017
• The Czech town trying to keep its Jewish past buried. BBC 12 June 2017
• Tombstone of famed rabbi damaged in Czech town of Prostejov. Fox News World, 28 April 2017
• Lost Jewish cemetery destroyed by Nazis being restored CBS News, 2015
• Once Lost, a Jewish Graveyard in Prostejov, Czech Republic, is Being Reassembled. Tablet, 2015

Project Objectives

1. Contact Benjamin C. Schoenbrun and indicate which families you want to research. (They do overlap and you can document others as part of the main Prostejov project.)
2. Complete the family tree for both direct and collateral lines associated with each gravestone or fragment to the degree possible with vital records on badetelna and other sources (e.g., obituaries and Holocaust records).
3. Add heads of household to the Prostejov main project and people related to surviving tombstone fragments to this project.
4. Try to find living direct or collateral descendants.
5. Obtain contact information for the living descendants.

Identified Tombstones and Fragments as of 7/1/2017

1. Back, Katz (?)
2. Barcheles, Hani/Hendel (1849 -30.6.1894); wife or Wilhelm/Wolf Barcheles (1 March 1850-14 May 1902)
3. Bergel (Back), Julie (30 May 1830-29 April 1873); husband of Jaakov Hirsch Bergel
4. Fischof, Fani (14.8.1847-13.5.1871); daughter of Meir Fischoff
5. Fleischer Anna/Hanna/Chana (1782-19.6.1854); husband of Moshe Fleischer; tree built
6. Glas, Israel (1824–15.12.1854), married to Netti Reik 1852
7. Grünhut ? (?)
8. Hamburger, Kathi (19 June1817-25 September 1875); tree built
9. Hatschek, Alexander (1860-1866); son of Herman Hersch Hatschek
10. Hatschek, Henriette (1860-1866); daughter of Herman Hersch Hatschek
11. Hatschek, Rosa (1853-1866); daughter of Herman Hersch Hatschek
12. Herlitzka, Bernhard (1815-16 April 1879); partial tree completed
13. Herschl, Herman (1826 -11 June 1896); husband of Katti Herschl
14. Hirsch, Katty (c.1823-4 October 1875)
15. Hoor, Fredl (1825-1899)
16. Huth, Johanna (1835-19 January 1883)
17. Kohn, Cheika (1808-25 April 1886); wife of Schlomo Kohn
18. Kohn, Josefina (1824 - 24 September 1876); wife of Michael Kohn
19. Kornitzer Albert (1807-15 October 1865); wife of Peppi Kornitzer (1819-22 January 1864); tree built
20. Latzer Lazar (29 July 1797 - 24 May 1874)
21. Lazar (Brodetsky), Hanni (8 February 1798-November 1880)
22. Lewin Moses (1815-7 December 1849); tree built
23. Mandeles, Rebeka (1810-21 June 1855); husband of Moshe Chaim Mandeles
24. Neuman(n), Leah (?) (Leni Neumann)
25. Neumann, Moses (1828-11 April 1849); son of Isak Neumann
26. Perschak, Julie (1820-8 January 1855); wife of Isak Perschak
27. Platzer, Moritz (?)
28. Reichman, Geršon (1822-28 April 1878); son of Jechiel Lazus
29. Reiner Adolfine (29 July 1865 - 10 August 1866); daughter of Adolf Reiner and Charlotta Reiner (1828-1903)
30. Rosenthal Juli/Jitl (1776-17 September 1852)
31. Selinger, Josefa (11 April 1809-24 September 1852); wife of Alois Selinger; tree built
32. Schnabl, Hermine (?)
33. Schnabl, Josef (1819-1895); tree not built
34. Schwarz, Anna/Hanna (1781-12 February 1855)
35. Steiner, Meir (??)
36. Stum, Nanni/Nechama (1786-1 September 1853); wife of Gabriel Stum; tree built
37. Tersch, Netti (1828-29 May 1900); wife of Herman Tersch (1827-1895)
38. Wagner, Simon (1809-3 September 1878)
39. Wasservogel, Johanna (15 May 1809 – 22 November 1878)

Project Roles/Assignments

• Contact Benjamin C. Schoenbrun
• Current work: Schoenbrun - general, Neuman family