Czechia Jewish Records: Difference between revisions

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Go to [[Jewish Genealogy Research|Jewish Genealogy Research Main Page]]
 
==Online Resources==
*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-11007/germany-hesse-deaths?s=275764761 Sub-Carpathia, Jewish Birth Records] at MyHeritage - index ($)
*[[Czechia Jewish Registers|Jewish Registers]]
 
== Introduction ==
 
=== Brief History ===
From the Middle Ages to the 1800s, the lands that now make up the Czech Republic (Bohemia and Moravia) and the Sloavk Republic were provinces of the Hapsburg Empire (later known as the Austrian Empire). In 1867, the Hungarians gained greater autonomy and the territory of Slovakia. The Austro-Hungarian Empire lasted until the end of WWI, when Czechoslovakia was formed from Bohemia, Moravia, Sloavkia, and parts of Silesia. In 1993, Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.<ref>"Czech and Slovak Republics: Jewish Family History Research Guide". Center Genealogy Institute (March 2006), www.cjh.org.</ref> When searching for Slovak Jewish records, also search Hungarian Jewish records. Many can be found on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog].
 
=== Maps of the Czech Republic  ===
 
*To view the present-day Czech Republic at Google Maps, click [https://maps.google.com/maps?q=czech+republic&hl=en&ll=49.816721,15.46875&spn=6.3812,16.907959&sll=53.709714,27.949219&sspn=11.721718,33.815918&hnear=Czech+Republic&t=m&z=7 here].
*For a Jewish population density map of Europe in 1900, click [[Jewish Population Maps|here]].
 
=== [[Czechia Jewish History]]  ===
 
*To learn more about Jewish Vital Registers, Familiant Law, and Project Bohemia, Moravia et Silesia Judaica, click [[Czechia Jewish History|here]].
*Read the Wikipedia.org article ''History of the Jews in the Czech Republic'' by clicking [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Czech_Republic here].
{{Template:Jews in Eastern Europe}}
 
{{Template:JewishGen Family Finder}}
 
=== The JewishGen Austria-Czech Database  ===
 
*More than 360,000 records for Austria and the Czech Republic, from a variety of sources, including: cemetery data, Yizkor books, and Holocaust sources. ''Requires free registration.'' To search, click [http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/#CzechRepublic here].
 
=== Determining the Jewish Community/Synagogue of Your Town ===
To find out which synagogue/Jewish community your town likely belonged to:
*Go to the [https://www.jewishgen.org/communities/search.asp JewishGen Communities Database].
*Search for your known town.
*Click on the correct town in the "Modern Town & Country" column; you will need to log in to see the location page.
*Scroll down to "Nearby Jewish Communities" for a list of the Jewish communities by your town, starting with the closest. The closer the community, the likelier it is the Jewish community/synagogue to have created records for your town.
 
Alternatively:
*Go to the [https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/all/ JewishGen Unified Search].
*Search for your individual.
*Scroll down the page and click on "List [number] records" next to a record type of interest.
*In the URL column, click on the nacr.cz link; the JewishGen indexes link directly to a scan of the original image the index is based on.
*To determine which Jewish community the record is from, either click on "More" in the JewishGen search result or click on "Národní archivMatriky židovských náboženských obcí v českých krajích" ("National ArchivesRegisters of Jewish religious communities in the Czech regions") in the upper right-hand corner of the website showing the original image and look for the location listed next to "Název" ("Name").
 
=== Help with Czech Republic Jewish Research  ===
 
*Access the JewishGen.org Austria-Czech Special Interest Group (SIG) by clicking [http://www.jewishgen.org/AustriaCzech/ here].
*Access the JewishGen.org Hungarian Special Interest Group (SIG) by clicking [https://www.jewishgen.org/Hungary/ here].
*Access the Facebook Czechoslovakia Genealogy Research Community by clicking [https://www.facebook.com/groups/czechgenealogy/ here].
*Access the FamilySearch Community Research Group by clicking here [https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/34-czechia-czech-republic-research?language=en_US here].


== Jewish Records [Židovské matriky]  ==
== Jewish Records [Židovské matriky]  ==


=== Introduction ===
===Introduction===
 
Jewish Records refers to records about Jews (non-vital) and records of Jewish births, marriages, and deaths (vital). Non-vital Jewish records were created as Jewish communities kept account books, bought property, or had dealings with rulers and local governments. Records pertaining to Jews and Jewish congregation exist from the 1500s. Jews in Austria generally did not keep vital records unless required to do so by law. Jews did not receive legal recognition until the Edict of Toleration in 1781. Beginning in 1788, Jews were required to keep records of births, marriages and deaths in German under Catholic supervision. Because these records were required for conscription and taxation purposes, Jews often evaded registration and but most Jewish communities did not actually start keeping records until the practice was again codified into law in 1840. The laws requiring records of births, marriages and deaths were reemphasized several times during the early 1800s and the practice was well established the 1860s. Jewish congregations continued to maintain registers into the 1930s when persecutions became severe. Most Jewish congregations were destroyed in the Holocaust but the records were preserved in archives.  
Jewish Records refer to records about Jews (non-vital) and records of Jewish births, marriages, and deaths (vital). Non-vital Jewish records were created as Jewish communities kept account books, bought property, or had dealings with rulers and local governments. Records pertaining to Jews and Jewish congregation exist from the 1500s. Jews in Austria generally did not keep vital records unless required to do so by law. Jews did not receive legal recognition until the Edict of Toleration in 1781. Beginning in 1788, Jews were required to keep records of births, marriages and deaths in German under Catholic supervision. Because these records were required for conscription and taxation purposes, Jews often evaded registration and but most Jewish communities did not actually start keeping records until the practice was again codified into law in 1840. The laws requiring records of births, marriages and deaths were reemphasized several times during the early 1800s and the practice was well established the 1860s. Jewish congregations continued to maintain registers into the 1930s when persecutions became severe. Most Jewish congregations were destroyed in the Holocaust but the records were preserved in archives.  


Jewish communities are documented in the Czech lands since the tenth century, though Jews were likely present as early as the second century A.D. Most of the Jewish population was in the city of Prague which had both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. A Jewish charter was issued by the King of Bohemia in 1254 introducing some protection, but various forms of persecution existed for centuries. In 1726 Charles VI attempted to reduce the Jewish population by his Family Laws which permitted only the eldest sons of Jewish families to marry. This only encouraged Jews to disperse over the countryside. The Edict of Toleration in 1781 guaranteed freedom of worship but other modernizing policies associated with the reforms of the era cost the Jews their internal autonomy and forced Germanization. During the Nazi occupation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, 78,000 out of the existing 92,000 Jews in the Czech Republic (85%) perished in the Holocaust. Most surviving Jews left after the war.  
Jewish communities are documented in the Czech lands since the tenth century, though Jews were likely present as early as the second century A.D. Most of the Jewish population was in the city of Prague which had both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. A Jewish charter was issued by the King of Bohemia in 1254 introducing some protection, but various forms of persecution existed for centuries. In 1726 Charles VI attempted to reduce the Jewish population by his Family Laws which permitted only the eldest sons of Jewish families to marry. This only encouraged Jews to disperse over the countryside. The Edict of Toleration in 1781 guaranteed freedom of worship but other modernizing policies associated with the reforms of the era cost the Jews their internal autonomy and forced Germanization. During the Nazi occupation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, 78,000 out of the existing 92,000 Jews in the Czech Republic (85%) perished in the Holocaust. Most surviving Jews left after the war.  


=== Online [[Czechia Jewish Registers]]  ===
===Content===  
*[[Czechia Jewish Registers|Jewish Registers]]
'''Non-Vital:'''<br>
*Records of the former Jewish communities of the entire Czech Republic are located at [https://vademecum.nacr.cz/vademecum/ the National Archives in Prague]. Some of these records are already online. To learn more, click [[Czechia Jewish Registers|here]]. For a tutorial on how to navigate the website, watch [https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/lessons/finding-jewish-records-at-the-czech-national-archives this video].
These generally contain information about royal dealings with specific Jews; also information about Jewish congregations, rabbis, names of members of the congregation; and economic activities.  
*For an easier navigation in English, you can access the same records [https://zayt.org/collections here].
 
'''Digitized books online''':
 
*'''Matriky židovských náboženských obcí v českých krajích''' (fond '''167''') = birth, marriage, and death registries of Jewish religious communities in Czechia
*'''Židovská komise Praha''' (fond '''190''') = Jewish Commission of Prague
**includes handwritten index to marriage permissions
**original permission books are held at the National Archives but are not yet digitized
*'''Židovské kontrolní matriky''' (fond '''144''') = Jewish registers kept by Roman Catholic parishes in Bohemia (those from Moravia have not survived)
*'''Knihy židovských familitanů''' (fond '''29''') = Jewish familiant books
 
'''Not yet digitized''':
 
*'''Soupisy židů Praha''' (fond 191) = census lists of Jews in Prague in 1724, 1783, 1793, 1799, and 1811.
*'''Rada židovských náboženských obci''' (fond 161) = Council of Jewish religious communities
*'''Registratura zemského židovstva''' (fond 164) = Registry of Provincial Jews
*'''Ředitelstvi židovských berní''' (fond 143) = Jewish Tax Directorate
 
'''Step-by-step Instructions''':
 
*Go to vademecum.nacr.cz
**Change the language to English in the top corner.
**Select the red button labeled "Pomůcky v elektronické podobě."
**Under the tab labeled "Výběr" on the right, toggle "specific selection of finding aids" (in Czech, "Specifický výběr pomůcek") to green.
**Start typing the name of the fond you want in "Name of Fond" (in Czech, "Název fondu") or put the fond number in the field labeled "NAD sheet No." (in Czech, "Číslo listu NAD").
***For the fond name: In the "Name of Fond" (in Czech, "Název fondu") field, start typing  in one of the fond name options under the "Digitized books online" heading above; for example, ''Matriky židovských náboženských obci'' will bring up registers of Jewish communities in Czechia.
***Or, for the fond number: In the "NAD sheet No." (in Czech, "Číslo listu NAD") field, start typing in one of the fond number options under the same heading above; for example, 167 will bring up the same registers of Jewish communities in Czechia.
**Select the fond name or number from the dropdown menu and click the magnifying glass at the bottom to search.
**Click on the magnifying glass on the top right to search.
**Click on the name of the fond in the search results. (If it displays 0 results, then there are no digitized books available yet).
**Click on the icon labeled "Listování v pomůcce" to view the towns included in the collection.
***If you do not see the attachment symbol by the book titles, click the list icon (hovering over this icon shows the label "zobrazit seznam").
***This should open up all the books available with digital images.
**Click on the relevant synagogue/community location in the list on the right. If you do not know which synagogue/Jewish community you need to look for records from, refer to the [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Czechia_Jewish_Records#Determining_the_Jewish_Community/Synagogue_of_Your_Town "Determining the Jewish Community/Synagogue of Your Town"] section of this page, which will also walk you through how to potentially locate an index linked directly to the record online.
**Click on the title of a book in the central part of the page. This will take you to a page with the image of the first page and certain details, such as which villages are included in the book.
***If an index is listed on a separate line immediately below your synagogue/community of interest, click on the index book to browse.
**Click on the image to open the book.
**Alternatively, to skip the details page and open the book directly, click on the paper clip icon to the right of a book title, then click on the mountain icon (labeled "zobrazit v plné kvalitě 95 skenů") that appears next to the paper clip.
 
=== Content ===
 
'''Non-Vital:'''<br>These generally contain information about royal dealings with specific Jews; also information about Jewish congregations, rabbis, names of members of the congregation; and economic activities.  


'''Vital:'''  
'''Vital:'''  
*Births – name; sex; date and place of birth; parents’ names (sometimes grandparents) with occupation, age and residence; names of witnesses.  
*Births – name; sex; date and place of birth; parents’ names (sometimes grandparents) with occupation, age and residence; names of witnesses.  
*Marriages – names of groom and bride, date and place of marriage, age, place of birth, residence, previous marital status, occupation, often parents’ names for both groom and bride; names of witnesses.  
*Marriages – names of groom and bride, date and place of marriage, age, place of birth, residence, previous marital status, occupation, often parents’ names for both groom and bride; names of witnesses.  
*Deaths – name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause of death, residence, age, occupation, marital status, spouses' name, often birthplace of the deceased.
*Deaths – name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause of death, residence, age, occupation, marital status, spouses' name, often birthplace of the deceased.


=== Location ===
===Location===  
 
Jewish records for the entire Czech Republic were centralized in one location, in the National Archives in Prague:  
Jewish records for the entire Czech Republic were centralized in one location, in the National Archives in Prague:  


Národní archiv<br>Milady Horákové 133<br>160 00 Praha 6 - Dejvice<br>CZECH REPUBLIC<br>e-mail: na1@nacr.cz
Národní archiv<br>Milady Horákové 133<br>160 00 Praha 6 - Dejvice<br>CZECH REPUBLIC<br>


Contact:<br>PhDr. Lenka Matušíková e-mail: lenka.matusikova@nacr.cz  
E-mail: na1@nacr.cz
 
The archive will typically respond to a written request from an individual by providing basic information, advising on other archives or archival holdings that might hold the requested data, and recommending the use of private genealogical researchers or firms if more extensive research is required.


Vital and some non-vital Jewish records may be found in state regional archives [''státní oblastní archívy'']. Non-vital Jewish records may be found in district [''okresní''] and city [''městské''] archives.  
Vital and some non-vital Jewish records may be found in state regional archives [''státní oblastní archívy'']. Non-vital Jewish records may be found in district [''okresní''] and city [''městské''] archives.  


=== Accessibility ===
===Accessibility===
Jewish vital records are accessible for research by visiting the archives in person or by hiring a private researcher. Other types of Jewish records are very difficult to access, even by on-site research.
Jewish vital records are accessible for research by visiting the archives in person or by hiring a private researcher. Other types of Jewish records are very difficult to access, even by on-site research.<br>


There are many records available for Bohemia and Moravia. To learn more on how to find these records, see [https://www.jewishgen.org/austriaczech/czechguide.html JewishGen: Getting Started With Czech-Jewish Genealogy]. The main source of vital records, books of Jewish families in particular towns, and other records are available in the State Central Archives:
===Research use===
These records are a prime source for information about the vital events in an individual's life. They contain information that can be used to compile pedigrees and family groups. They identify children, spouses, parents, and sometimes grandparents as well as dates and places of vital events. They establish individual identity and are excellent sources for linking generations and identifying relationships.


State Central Archives in Prague
== 1783 Jewish Census ==


''Records up to 1850'':
For more information about 1783 Bohemian Jewish Census click [[Czech Republic Census#1783_Jewish_Census|here]].
:Statni ustredni archiv<br>Tr. Milady Horakove 133<br>CZ-1662 Praha 6<br>Czech Republic


''Records since 1850'':
== 1793 Jewish Census ==
:Narodni archiv v Praze<br>Archivni 4<br>149 01 Praha 4 - Chodovec<br>Czech Republic<br>Website: [http://www.nacr.cz/en/ www.nacr.cz]


For addresses of regional Czech archives, see: [https://www.jewishgen.org/austriaczech/towns/gundframe1.html JewishGen: The Gundacker List].<br><br>
For more information about 1793 Bohemian Jewish Census click [[Czech Republic Census#1793_Jewish_Census|here]].  


The Jewish Museum of Prague also holds many Jewish records:
== Theresienstadt (Terezín) Concentration Camp Database ==


:Jewish Museum in Prague<br>Zidovske muzeum Praha<br>U Staré školy 141/1<br>Josefov<br>110 00 Praha 1<br>Czech Republic<br>Phone: +420 222 749 211<br>Email: [mailto:office@jewishmuseum.cz office@jewishmuseum.cz]<br>Website: [https://www.jewishmuseum.cz www.jewishmuseum.cz]
Terezín Initiative Institute made their data available through the online digital archive. Click [http://www.holocaust.cz/eng/main here] to access a short introduction in English.  


For a detailed listing of the museum's holdings, see Jan Herman, "The Jewish Community Archives from Bohemia and Moravia," ''Judaica Bohemiae'' VII.
The database is in Czech and may be searched by surname (Příjmení), given name (Jméno), date of birth in dd.mm.yyyy format (Datum narození), last residence (Bydliště), and address (Adresa), if living in larger town, such as Prague. For a given individual, one may find date of birth, date and code of transport to Terezin or elsewhere, date and place of death, last address before deportation, and other documents, if available. The database is meant to be as personal as possible, so the pictures of individuals often are included. Click [http://www.holocaust.cz/cz2/victims/victims here] to access the database.  
 
Some sources are also available at the Center for Jewish History (see [[Jewish Archives and Libraries#Center for Jewish History]]).
*''Rabbinical and Historical Manuscripts Collection, 1567-1930''. This collection contains rabbinic bound and unbound manuscripts, correspondence, responsa, and other documents. It also includes tombstone inscriptions from Mislic (1785-1877) and Prague (1740-1785).
*''Territorial Collection for Czechoslovakia''. This collection includes documents and materials from the Theresienstadt ghetto (Terezin) in Czechoslovakia, including birth and death records for 1942. There is an inventory in English.
 
<ref>"Czech and Slovak Republics: Jewish Family History Research Guide," Center Genealogy Institute (March 2006), www.cjh.org.</ref>
 
=== Research use  ===
 
These records are a prime source for information about the vital events in an individual's life. They contain information that can be used to compile pedigrees and family groups. They identify children, spouses, parents, and sometimes grandparents as well as dates and places of vital events. They establish individual identity and are excellent sources for linking generations and identifying relationships.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Czech Republic,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 1999.</ref>
 
== Other Record Types ==
 
=== 1783 Jewish Census  ===
 
For more information about 1783 Bohemian Jewish Census click [[Czechia Census#1783_Jewish_Census|here]].
 
=== 1793 Jewish Census  ===
 
For more information about 1793 Bohemian Jewish Census click [[Czechia Census#1793_Jewish_Census|here]].
 
=== Holocaust.cz Database ===
 
This database includes information about Terezín (Theresienstadt) Concentration Camp/Ghetto along with other information about Holocaust survivors related to the Czech lands (such as Roma or Sinti peoples, known historically as gypsies). They have made their data available through their [https://www.holocaust.cz/ online digital archive].
 
The database is in Czech and may be searched by surname (Příjmení), given name (Jméno), date of birth in dd.mm.yyyy format (Datum narození), last residence (Bydliště), and address (Adresa), if living in larger town, such as Prague. For a given individual, one may find date of birth, date and code of transport to Terezin or elsewhere, date and place of death, last address before deportation, and other documents, if available. The database is meant to be as personal as possible, so the pictures of individuals often are included. Click [https://www.holocaust.cz/databaze-obeti/ here] to access the database.  


For privacy reasons, the database does not include survivor data. However, information about surviving relatives may be requested by sending an inquiry to &lt;database@terezinstud-ies.cz&gt;.  
For privacy reasons, the database does not include survivor data. However, information about surviving relatives may be requested by sending an inquiry to &lt;database@terezinstud-ies.cz&gt;.  
Line 192: Line 50:
The database includes information about all those deported to Terezín ghetto from Austria, Bohemia, Denmark, Germany, Moravia, Netherlands, and Slovakia, as well as those sent to Terezín on death marches at the end of World War II. Information about the Jews who were deported from Bohemia and Moravia to Łódź, Minsk, Oświęcim, and Ujazdów is also included.  
The database includes information about all those deported to Terezín ghetto from Austria, Bohemia, Denmark, Germany, Moravia, Netherlands, and Slovakia, as well as those sent to Terezín on death marches at the end of World War II. Information about the Jews who were deported from Bohemia and Moravia to Łódź, Minsk, Oświęcim, and Ujazdów is also included.  


== Finding a Professional Genealogist ==
==Finding a Professional Genealogist==
 
JewishGen now has a list of professional genealogists who do research in Central and Eastern Europe. Most live in their native lands. Included with the name of each person is the name of the individual doing the recommending along with their e-mail address. Click [http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/researchers.htm here] to see the list of genealogists recommended by the JewishGen users.
JewishGen now has a list of professional genealogists who do research in Central and Eastern Europe. Most live in their native lands. Included with the name of each person is the name of the individual doing the recommending along with their e-mail address. Click [http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/researchers.htm here] to see the list of genealogists recommended by the JewishGen users.  
 
== Websites  ==


*[https://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/ The JewishGen Communities Database and JewishGen Gazetteer]
==Websites==
*[https://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/LocTown.asp JewishGen Gazetteer]
*[http://www.holocaust.cz/ holocaust.cz] A database of victims of the Theresienstadt concentration camp and more...
*[http://www.cjh.org/pdfs/Czech-Slovak07.pdf Center for Jewish History] Czech and Slovak Republics: Jewish Family History Research Guide
*[http://www.jewishgen.org/austriaczech/czechguide.html Getting Started With Czech-Jewish Genealogy]
*[http://www.badatelna.eu/fond/2098/ Jewish Familiants of Prague 1811-1848]<br>(Switch to language of choice.)<br>Select "Inventory" tab.<br>Scroll to inventory numbers 160 to 190.<br>Click on "Reproduction" to view book.
*[http://www.toledot.org/kraje.html Jewish Familiants of Bohemia]
*[http://www.toledot.org/mkraje.html Jewish Familiants of Southern Moravia]
*[http://familia-austria.net/forschung/index.php?title=J%C3%BCdische_Genealogie Jewish Genealogy websites] Contains several Czech Republic resources
*[http://stevemorse.org/jcal/tombstone.html Tombstone Dates] A handy decoder that let’s you enter the squiggles found on the tombstone, and it will report back the date in the Hebrew calendar. It will also convert the date to its equivalent in the secular calendar.
*[https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62195/ Free Access: USC Shoah Foundation, Holocaust – Jewish Survivor Interviews], index


== Helpful Resources ==
[http://www.holocaust.cz/ holocaust.cz] A database of victims of the Theresienstadt concentration camp and more...  
*Auslander, Jordan. ''Genealogical gazeteer for the Kingdom of Hungary''. Bergenfield, New Jersey : Avotaynu. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|2241196|item|disp=JGS 943.9 E5aj}})
*''Czechoslovakia: Official Standard Names''. Division of Geography, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1955.
*Dvorzsák, János. ''Magyarország helységnévtára tekintettel a közigazgatási, népességi és hitfelekezeti viszonyokra / szerkesztette Dvorzsák János = Ortslexikon von Ungarn mit Bezug auf die politische und kirchliche Eintheilung der Bevölkerung''. Budapest, Hungary : Havi Füzetek Kiadóhivatala, 1877. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|163772|item|disp=943.9 E5d}})
*Gundacker, Felix. ''Matrikenverzeichnis der Juedischen Matriken Boehmens'' (Register of Jewish Vital Statistics in the Czech State Archives pertaining to Bohemia). Felix Gundacker, 2000. In German and English.
*Gundacker, Felix. ''Matrikenverzeichnis der Juedischen Matriken Maehrens'' (Register of Jewish Vital Statistics in the Czech State Archives pertaining to Moravia). Felix Gundacker, 2000. In German and English.
*Heřman, Jan. ''Jewish cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia''. [S.l.] : Council of Jewish Communities in the ČSR, 1980s. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|672946|item|disp=943.7 V3}})
*Heřman, Jan. ''Jewish community archives from Bohemia and Moravia : analytical registers to the catalogues of archive materials from Jewish communities with the exception of that of Prague''. Prague, Czech Republic : Státní Židovské Muzeum, 1971. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|449825|item|disp=943.71 A3h}})
*Iggers, Wilma Abeles, editor and translator. ''The Jews of Bohemia and Moravia: A Historical Reader.'' Wayne State University Press, 1992.
*Lelkes, György. ''Magyar helységnév-azonosító szótár''. Baja, Hungary : Talma, 1998. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|986514|item|disp=943.9 E5Lg 1998}})
*Magocsi, Paul Robert. ''Historical atlas of East Central Europe''. Seattle, Washington : University of Washington Press, 1993. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|678502|item|disp=940 H2ho}})
*Majtán, Milan. ''Názvy obcí slovenskej republiky : vývin v rokoch 1773-1997''. Bratislava, Slovakia : VEDA, vydavateľstvo Slovenskej akadémie, 1998. (FS Library call no. {{FSC|815292|item|disp=943.73 E2m 1998}})
*Mokotoff, Gary and Sallyann Amdur Sack. ''Where once we walked : a guide to the Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust''. Teaneck, New Jersey : Avotaynu, 1991. (FS Library microfilm {{FSC|384512|item|disp=940 E5ms}})
*Society for the History of Czechoslovak Jews. ''The Jews of Czechoslovakia''. 3 volumes. Jewish Publication Society, 1968-1984.


== References  ==
[http://www.cjh.org/pdfs/Czech-Slovak07.pdf Center for Jewish History] Czech and Slovak Republics: Jewish Family History Research Guide


{{reflist}}


[[Category:Czechia Jewish Records]]
[[Category:Czech_Republic]] [[Category:Jews]]

Revision as of 13:44, 15 June 2010

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Jewish Records [Židovské matriky][edit | edit source]

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Jewish Records refers to records about Jews (non-vital) and records of Jewish births, marriages, and deaths (vital). Non-vital Jewish records were created as Jewish communities kept account books, bought property, or had dealings with rulers and local governments. Records pertaining to Jews and Jewish congregation exist from the 1500s. Jews in Austria generally did not keep vital records unless required to do so by law. Jews did not receive legal recognition until the Edict of Toleration in 1781. Beginning in 1788, Jews were required to keep records of births, marriages and deaths in German under Catholic supervision. Because these records were required for conscription and taxation purposes, Jews often evaded registration and but most Jewish communities did not actually start keeping records until the practice was again codified into law in 1840. The laws requiring records of births, marriages and deaths were reemphasized several times during the early 1800s and the practice was well established the 1860s. Jewish congregations continued to maintain registers into the 1930s when persecutions became severe. Most Jewish congregations were destroyed in the Holocaust but the records were preserved in archives.

Jewish communities are documented in the Czech lands since the tenth century, though Jews were likely present as early as the second century A.D. Most of the Jewish population was in the city of Prague which had both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. A Jewish charter was issued by the King of Bohemia in 1254 introducing some protection, but various forms of persecution existed for centuries. In 1726 Charles VI attempted to reduce the Jewish population by his Family Laws which permitted only the eldest sons of Jewish families to marry. This only encouraged Jews to disperse over the countryside. The Edict of Toleration in 1781 guaranteed freedom of worship but other modernizing policies associated with the reforms of the era cost the Jews their internal autonomy and forced Germanization. During the Nazi occupation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, 78,000 out of the existing 92,000 Jews in the Czech Republic (85%) perished in the Holocaust. Most surviving Jews left after the war.

Content[edit | edit source]

Non-Vital:
These generally contain information about royal dealings with specific Jews; also information about Jewish congregations, rabbis, names of members of the congregation; and economic activities.

Vital:

  • Births – name; sex; date and place of birth; parents’ names (sometimes grandparents) with occupation, age and residence; names of witnesses.
  • Marriages – names of groom and bride, date and place of marriage, age, place of birth, residence, previous marital status, occupation, often parents’ names for both groom and bride; names of witnesses.
  • Deaths – name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause of death, residence, age, occupation, marital status, spouses' name, often birthplace of the deceased.

Location[edit | edit source]

Jewish records for the entire Czech Republic were centralized in one location, in the National Archives in Prague:

Národní archiv
Milady Horákové 133
160 00 Praha 6 - Dejvice
CZECH REPUBLIC

E-mail: na1@nacr.cz

Vital and some non-vital Jewish records may be found in state regional archives [státní oblastní archívy]. Non-vital Jewish records may be found in district [okresní] and city [městské] archives.

Accessibility[edit | edit source]

Jewish vital records are accessible for research by visiting the archives in person or by hiring a private researcher. Other types of Jewish records are very difficult to access, even by on-site research.

Research use[edit | edit source]

These records are a prime source for information about the vital events in an individual's life. They contain information that can be used to compile pedigrees and family groups. They identify children, spouses, parents, and sometimes grandparents as well as dates and places of vital events. They establish individual identity and are excellent sources for linking generations and identifying relationships.

1783 Jewish Census[edit | edit source]

For more information about 1783 Bohemian Jewish Census click here.

1793 Jewish Census[edit | edit source]

For more information about 1793 Bohemian Jewish Census click here.

Theresienstadt (Terezín) Concentration Camp Database[edit | edit source]

Terezín Initiative Institute made their data available through the online digital archive. Click here to access a short introduction in English.

The database is in Czech and may be searched by surname (Příjmení), given name (Jméno), date of birth in dd.mm.yyyy format (Datum narození), last residence (Bydliště), and address (Adresa), if living in larger town, such as Prague. For a given individual, one may find date of birth, date and code of transport to Terezin or elsewhere, date and place of death, last address before deportation, and other documents, if available. The database is meant to be as personal as possible, so the pictures of individuals often are included. Click here to access the database.

For privacy reasons, the database does not include survivor data. However, information about surviving relatives may be requested by sending an inquiry to <database@terezinstud-ies.cz>.

The database includes information about all those deported to Terezín ghetto from Austria, Bohemia, Denmark, Germany, Moravia, Netherlands, and Slovakia, as well as those sent to Terezín on death marches at the end of World War II. Information about the Jews who were deported from Bohemia and Moravia to Łódź, Minsk, Oświęcim, and Ujazdów is also included.

Finding a Professional Genealogist[edit | edit source]

JewishGen now has a list of professional genealogists who do research in Central and Eastern Europe. Most live in their native lands. Included with the name of each person is the name of the individual doing the recommending along with their e-mail address. Click here to see the list of genealogists recommended by the JewishGen users.

Websites[edit | edit source]

holocaust.cz A database of victims of the Theresienstadt concentration camp and more...

Center for Jewish History Czech and Slovak Republics: Jewish Family History Research Guide

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