Old Jewish Cemetery | Prague

In Josefov, Prague’s Old Jewish Cemetery is a quiet burial ground dating to the 15th century, with thousands of closely packed, weathered tombstones. The cemetery served the city’s Jewish community for centuries, when burial space within the quarter was limited. Graves were layered vertically, so the stones crowd together in a way that is unusual to see. Walk the marked paths among the graves and pause at the tombstones and mausoleums. For more context, bring a guidebook or join a guided visit; the grounds have little explanatory signage.

A burial ground shaped by limited space

The Old Jewish Cemetery is in Josefov, Prague’s former Jewish Quarter. It served the local Jewish community from the 15th century until the late 18th century. The oldest visible gravestone dates to 1439.

For generations, the community had only a small plot for burials. Jewish burial beliefs meant the dead were not moved, and the cemetery could not expand outwards. Graves were therefore layered beneath one another, leaving the ground densely marked with tombstones. Estimates put the number of visible stones at about 12,000, with many more people buried below them.

What to look for among the graves

Follow the paths through the closely set stones and take time to notice their varied shapes and inscriptions. The cemetery also contains statues and mausoleums. Some headstones mark the graves of prominent members of Prague’s Jewish community, including Rabbi Judah Loew, businessman Mordecai Meisel, historian David Gans and Rabbi David Oppenheim.

The setting is quiet within the cemetery walls, while modern buildings stand close around it. This contrast, along with the dense arrangement of the stones, gives the grounds their distinctive character.