Jewish Religious Community of Přeštice

Collection description

Scope and content:: The fonds contains the statutes of the Jewish Religious Community of Přeštice (1897–1913 and ca. 1920), minutes of meetings, election records, registry records, a marriage banns register (1894–1932), a community membership register, records related to the teaching of religion, official memoranda, material relating to assistance for war refugees (1914–1918), construction-related documents (including construction plans for a synagogue) and financial records. It also contains material relating to the associated communities of Dnešice, Dolní Lukavice (minutes of meetings, records of the Nessiv Yosher burial assistance charity), Lužany (financial records and hazkara-kept until the early 1940s), and Merklín (a list of members of the Jewish community, documents relating to cemetery repairs, registry records).

Archival history:: The records were incorporated into the archives of the Jewish Museum in Prague during the Second World War as part of shipments of material from Jewish religious communities that had been disbanded.

Administrative/biographical history:: A small Jewish settlement in Přeštice is documented from 1585 but did not expand until the middle of the 19th century. The local prayer association became a religious community in 1881. This community became part of the Jewish Religious Community of Dolní Lukavice in 1893. The latter's seat was transferred to Přeštice in 1897, from which time it became known as the Jewish Religious Community of Přeštice. The community was disbanded by the Nazis during the Second World War and did not subsequently resume its activities.

Subject terms:: Architectural drawings; Burial; Cemeteries; Education; Jewish community; Jewish community records; Marriage and divorce; Refugees; Synagogues

System of arrangement:: Materials in the fonds are arranged thematically as follows: books/registers and files of the Jewish community, books/registers, files and construction plans relating to the local synagogue, books/registers and files of associated communities.

Finding aids:: Dolista K, Heřman J: Židovská náboženská obec Přeštice, Prozatímní inventární seznam, 1971, 4 s., ev. č. 121.

Links to finding aids:: http://c.jewishmuseum.cz/files/documents/archiv-sbirky-a-fondy/inventare/121ZNOPrestice-prozatimniinventarniseznam.pdf