The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague was established in the 15th century. Its small size meant that the deceased were buried using a system of layering, where additional layers of soil were added on top of existing graves. The cemetery contains approximately 12,000 tombstones. Many of them commemorate notable members of the Prague community, including Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel from Poznań, also known as the legendary creator of the golem. Other notable individuals buried here include poet and Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim, son of Aaron from Łęczyca, Mayor of the Prague Jewish Town Mordechai Maisel, and Chief Rabbi of Prague and Moravia Aron Simon Spiro (http://cmentarze-zydowskie.pl/praga_czeska.htm, accessed on 8 April 2021).
For decades, the cemetery was recognised as one of the most popular landmarks in Prague. It was extensively photographed and painted, becoming a common subject on postcards from the early 20th century. In the judaica collection of the District Museum in Leszno, there is a postcard depicting a view of the cemetery. In the foreground, matzevot can be seen in an area adjacent to a distant – visible in the background – building: probably a shtiebel. These made of stone matzevot have a typical layout, consisting of simple, vertical slabs with an inscription panel in the middle, known as a "gate motif", often adorned with decorative finials. The central matzeva is larger and more representative, capturing attention with its rich ornamentation and a fully malleable lion figure with two tails. This marble tombstone commemorates Hendel Bassevi, daughter of Ewril Gronimi and wife of Jakub Bassevi, the first Jew in Prague to be granted a noble title.
The cemetery is depicted in an autumnal setting with fallen leaves scattered among the tombstones. A wide margin is left on the right side of the photograph. On the reverse side, in the upper left corner, there is a description of the postcard in Czech, French, English, and German: "From the old Jewish cemetery". In the upper right corner, there is a round stamp featuring a profile portrait of a man. The inscription in the surround reads: "CZECHOSLOVAK UNION OF BLIND SOLDIERS".
The postcard was purchased for the collection of the District Museum in Leszno in 2012 from from Marta Pogoreło of Leszno.
Dariusz Czwojdrak
