The Jewish Community of Kutna Hora
Kutna Hora
Medieval Czech: Hory Kutne; German: Kuttenberg
A city in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic
Kutna Hora is located about 37 miles (60km) southeast of Prague. In fact, from the 13th until the 16th century it competed with Prague culturally, politically, and economically. Until 1918 Kutna Hora was part of the Austrian Empire. Between the two World Wars, and during the postwar communist era (until 1993), it was part of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. Since 1995 the city center has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The former synagogue building in Kutna Hora has served as a Czechoslovak Hussite church since 1949. Its exterior has been preserved, including a large Star of David located on top of the building. A monument was built in front of the former synagogue to commemorate the local Jewish victims of the Nazis. In 2012 a memorial plaque was also unveiled at the former synagogue.
HISTORY
As a designated royal town, Jews were forbidden from settling within Kutna Hora. It was only after the emancipation of Jews throughout the Austrian Empire in 1848, and the subsequent removal of residence restrictions, that Jews were able to settle in the city.
Before they were allowed to settle in Kutna Hora the Jews who came to trade in the city lived in smaller towns in the area. Malin was among the surrounding neighborhoods that had a significant Jewish community. During the first half of the 19th century there were 24 Jewish families living in Malin, and Malin also had many of the Jewish communal institutions that would eventually be used by the burgeoning Jewish community in Kutna Hora. Beginning in 1802, religious services were held at a prayer house built by Hirsch Fischer in his distillery. In 1847 the prayer house was expanded. In 1856 the distillery, with the prayer house in it, was completely destroyed in a fire and until the distillery was rebuilt, services were held in a private house. Hirsch Eisler and his brother established a Jewish religious society in Malin in 1864, and members came from Jewish communities throughout the area. Because the society was not recognized as an organized community, and therefore could not impose dues on its members, its activities were funded by voluntary contributions. Indeed, 33 families contributed to the construction of a synagogue in Malin. However, synagogue construction took four years (1859-1863), due to difficulties in raising the necessary funds. The eventual synagogue building also held a mikvah and an apartment for the cantor. It would serve the community until the end of World War I; in 1922 the building would be sold to the Czech sports organization Sokol. In 1865 Wolf Steiner was elected as the community's leader.
Another Jewish community in the area was located in Malesov, which has records of a Jewish community dating to 1719, when approximately 15 Jewish families and a rabbi were living in the town. During the first half of the 19th century the number of the families living in Malesov grew to 20 (140 people). A cemetery was probably opened during the 18th century and expanded during the second half of the 19th century; this cemetery also eventually served the Jews of Kutna Hora. Most of the Jewish houses were located on the Jewish Street. The Jewish Street was also home to a Jewish school, a synagogue that was built around the middle of the 19th century, and, during World War I, an Orthodox prayer house that served Jewish refugees from Galicia.
Jews lived in Zbraslavice, another town in the area, for approximately 300 years. By 1692 the community had a Jewish cemetery. A wooden synagogue served the community of Zbraslavice for about 200 years until a brick synagogue was built in 1832.
As mentioned previously, Jews settled at Kutna Hora during the second half of the 19th century, after the emancipation. They were thought as being in favor of German culture, which caused tension and led to pogroms in 1861 led by Czech nationalists. In 1871 the Jews of Kutna Hora founded a religious society that consisted of 14 members. A prayer house was opened at Kutna Hora in 1881; until then, most went to Malin for services. An actual synagogue building was consecrated in 1902.
In 1893, when the number of Jews at Kutna Hora had reached 169, the community was officially organized. A committee was elected, with W. Beran as the leader of the community and Rabbi A. Rubinstein as the rabbi. Among the subsequent rabbis who served the community Kutna Hora were Rabbi Emanuel Steiner, Rabbi Solomon Podvinec, Rabbi Maxim Stransky, and Rabbi Shimon Abeles. The community's last rabbi was Gabriel Gottlieb, who served between 1912 and 1918. The institutions that served the community included a chevra kaddisha and a women's society. Most Jews worked as traders, while others owned factories (the Teller family owned a sugar factory and all of their employees were Jewish) or worked as professionals.
With the removal of residence restrictions during the second half of the 19th century, Jews throughout the Czech lands began moving to larger towns and cities, seeking greater economic and educational opportunities. As a result, the populations and importance of the small towns around Kutna Hora declined, and those communities began to affiliate with the community of Kutna Hora.
Kutna Hora played an important role during the Hilsner Affair of 1899-1900, a famous blood libel case when Leopold Hilsner, a Jew from eastern Bohemia, was accused of murdering a young woman. Kutna Hora was the site of Hilsner's first trial, which took place between September 12-16, 1899. At the end of the trial, Hilsner was convicted of aggravated murder. The verdict led to a number of riots that broke out throughout Bohemia and Moravia. Hilsner's lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court in Vienna; the original verdict was nullified, but Hilsner was again found guilty after a trial that took place in the southern Bohemian city of Pisek. He was ultimately pardoned just before World War I by Emperor Charles I.
During World War I many Jews from Kutna Hora enlisted in the army. In fact, after the war a commemoration statue was erected in the city in memory of the Jewish soldiers who were killed in battle.
During the interwar period, the Republic of Czechoslovakia recognized the Jews as a national minority, with attendant rights. Zionism became particularly active in Kutna Hora during this time, and a branch of the Zion society was established.
In 1921 the Jewish community of Kutna Hora numbered 312, of whom 188 lived in the town itself. In 1930 there were 140 Jews living in Kutna Hora and less than 10 living in Malin. Only 3 of Kutna Hora's 140 Jews declared their nationality as Jewish; the rest considered themselves to be Czech.
THE HOLOCAUST
As a result of the Munich Agreement of September, 1938, the Republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved. Shortly thereafter, on March 15, 1939 Bohemia and Moravia became a protectorate of Nazi Germany, ushering in a period of discrimination and violence against the Jews living there. Between April and June of 1942, most of the Jews of Kutna Hora and the vicinity were deported to the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto. From there they were sent to concentration and death camps where most were killed. Meanwhile, 70 documents, 35 books, and 105 ritual objects were sent from Kutna Hora to the Central Jewish Museum in Prague.
POSTWAR
After the war Jews did not return to Kutna Hora. The synagogue building of Kutna Hora was turned into a Czechoslovak Hussite church and the synagogue building at Zbraslavice was turned into a garage. The synagogue building in Malin was demolished by the authorities during the 1960s, and Malesov's synagogue was destroyed in 1987.