Slavkov u Brna Jewish Cemetery

Slavkov u Brna (former Austerlitz, אויסטרליץ)

Jewish community was one of the oldest in Moravia. First mentioned as the place of origin of Moses ben Tobiah, whose “Sefer ha-Minhagim” is dated 1294; about the same time the existence of a yeshivah there is mentioned. In 1567 the sale of houses between Jews and Gentiles was prohibited, and its Jews owned fields. There were 65 houses in Jewish ownership in Austerlitz before the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48), and 30 after it. In 1662 and 1722 the Moravian Vaad convened there, and the “shai” (311 = שי״א) takkanot were signed there. At the end of the 17th century the destruction of the Jewish cemetery was ordered. Most of the Jewish quarter, with the synagogue, was burnt down in 1762 and all the Moravian communities contributed toward its reconstruction. Seventy-two families were authorized to reside in Austerlitz in 1798. A new synagogue was built in 1857, at which time the Jewish population was 544. In 1905 there was an outbreak of antisemitic riots. There were only 66 Jews living in Austerlitz in 1930. Under the Nazi occupation they were deported to Theresienstadt in 1942, and from there to Auschwitz. Synagogue equipment was sent to the Central Jewish Museum in Prague. Of the original 77 houses in Jewish part of the town, 36 have survived, including the synagogue and the ritual bath.

The Old Jewish cemetery was destoryed (which was located south of the city by the Litava River).

The New Jewish cemetery was founded in 1744. About 300 tombstones have been preserved, while the oldest monuments from 1735–1736 were transferred here from the old cemetery. There is a historical masonry wall surrounding the cemetery. In the middle of the area, a monument to the destroyed Jewish community was installed in 1994.