Czech and Prague Sightseeing

Old Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery, which dates from the early 15th century, is the second oldest Jewish burial site in Europe (and the most popular monument in the Quarter). Some 12,000 tombstones are located here, each crammed into a tiny space, with the oldest dating back to 1439. Indeed, because it was forbidden to enlarge the burial ground beyond the walled ghetto, the Jews were forced to bury their dead on top of each other - meaning that an estimated 100,000 bodies lie here. Among the cemetery’s distinguished stones are those of Mordecai Maisel (d. 1601), Rabbi Löw Ben Bezalel (d. 1609) and David Oppenheimer (d. 1736).

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