The ancient Jewish cemetery in Prague was opened in 1468, its last grave being dug in 1786. The earliest grave was for Avigdor Kara, the well known poet. Buried here are a wide range of the most famous and ordinary Jews at the height of the period of creativity and foment in this city known as the Jerusalem of the West.
Photo by Mark E. Talisman
Confined to an area of Prague, the Jewish community was forced to add new layers of soil when the cemetary was filled. At the time of its closing to new graves in 1786, the height of the cemetery had been raised by twenty feet with 12,000 bodies having been buried beneath the multiple layers.
Photo by Mark E. Talisman
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