The old Jewish cemetery, situated between Kmochova and Sluneční Streets, contains over two and a half thousand tombstones on an area of approximately 1 hectare.
Burials were held here until 1887. After the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, the Kolin Old Jewish Cemetery is the second most important one in Bohemia.
The origins of the old Jewish cemetery date back to the middle of the 15th century. It served its purpose until 1887, when a new Jewish cemetery was established in Kolín-Zálabí. A fence wall with a pseudo-Baroque gate from the early 20th century outlines the irregular plot of approximately one hectare, on which more than two and a half thousand tombstones from the 15th-19th centuries are scattered. The oldest preserved ones date back to 1492, however, much more striking are the late Renaissance and early Baroque tombstones from the 17th century.
Approximately in the middle, the rising ground level defines the graves of the most important members of the local Jewish community from the 16th-19th centuries. At the north-western foot of the hill you can find probably the most famous tombstone, marking the final resting place of Bezalel, the son of the Prague rabbi Yehuda Löw. One of the most popular Kolín legends is connected to his death in 1599.
The western part of the cemetery, adjacent to Sluneční Street, contains mostly newer tombstones from the 19th century. Especially one of them, the monumental tombstone of the manufacturer Josef Weissberger from 1872 deserves your attention.
Access to the Old or the New Jewish Cemetery can be arranged with the Kolín Town Information Centre or the Tourist Information Centre (IC), visitors can borrow keys if they provide a refundable deposit of CZK 100, one hour before the IC closing time at the latest.
Free admission. For more information, visit the Jerusalem upon Labe website.
The project was implemented with the financial contribution of the Central Bohemian Region
The project was realized with the financial contribution of the Central Bohemian Region
