Koloděje nad Lužnicí
Czech Republic

CURRENT CZECH NAME: Koloděje nad Lužnicí

OTHER NAMES/SPELLINGS: Kalladay, Kallady, Kalady, Kaladey, Kallady, Kaladi, Kalladye, Kaladei, Kalladieg

LOCATION: Koloděje is a small town on the Lužnicí river where it runs into the Moldau (Vltava) in Bohemia-Ceske Budejovice at 49�15 14�25, 3km N of Tyn nad Vltavou; 6 km SW of Bechyne; and 24 km SW of Tabor.

HISTORY:  Earliest known Jewish community was 1681-1684. The Jewish community moved here after expulsion from nearby town of Tyn nad Vltavou (German: Moldautein). The Jewish population in the first half of 19th century was 94 families that later moved to Tyn nad Vltavou and other towns (153 in Koloděje nad, 60 in Tyn n. V. in 1886). In 1857 over half the town's population were Jews (679 of 1327 total).  The Jewish population in 1930 was 9 in Koloděje and 23 in Tyn nad Vltavou.  Nazis disbanded the congregation.  See "The History of Judaism in Kalady" in "How the castle and the parish of Koloděje arose" translated by Rainer Radok.

GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES:  Family name index of Familianten books, http://www.toledot.org/ihbf26.htm.  Birth, Death and Marriage record books for Breclav dating from 1784 may be located at the Czech State Archives in Prague, Statni istredni archiv, tr. Milady Horokove 133, CZ-166 21 Praha 6, Czech Republic, tel/fax: +42 (2) 333-20274, seehttp://www.jewishgen.org/austriaczech/towns/gund1.htm. Search JewishGen/Internet resources for Koloděje. 

NOTABLE RESIDENTS AND DESCENDANTS:  Koloděje is the native village of Alfred Radok (1914-1976 Vienna), producer of the National Theatre and the Prague Laterna Magika and his brother Emil Radok (1918), author of the Laterna Magika stage.  The father of German social democratic leader Friedrich Stampfer came from Koloděje.  The gggg-grandson of Beniamen Stampfer of Koloděje, E. Randol Schoenberg, is a moderator of Jewishgen's Austria-Czech SIG and the submitter of this page.

SYNAGOGUES: A synagogue from 1695-97 was pulled down in 1948.

CEMETERIES:  The Conservative and probably landmarked cemetery originated in the late 17th or early 18th century with last known Jewish burial probably 1969. Between fields and woods, the isolated hillside has no sign, but has Jewish symbols on gate or wall. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission via a continuous masonry wall and locking gate. Size of cemetery before and after WWII: 0,2772 ha. 100-500 gravestones, all in original position with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 1734 or from before 1500 through 20th century. The marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and iron (one) flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew, German, and/or Czech inscriptions. Praha Jewish community owns the cemetery with no structures. Adjacent properties are agricultural and forest. Occasionally, private visitors stop. Vandalism occurred occasionally in the last ten years. Regional or national authorities and Jewish groups within country re-erected stones, patched broken stones, cleared vegetation, and fixed wall and gate in 1991. No current care. Security (uncontrolled access) and vandalism are moderate threats. Weather erosion, pollution, and vegetation are slight threats. Vegetation overgrowth seasonally prevents access.

PHOTOS: 

CONTACTS: Martina Chmelikova, Nad Ondrejovem 16, 140 00 Praha 4; tel. 02/69-20-350 and Jiri Fiedler, Brdickova 1916, 155 00 Praha 5; tel. 02/55-33-40 completed a cemetery survey on 16 August 1992. 

SOURCES:  Die Juden und Judengemeinden B�hmens in Vergangenheit unde Gegenwart, Hugo Gold ed. (1934), pp: 240-245 (pictures); Jiri Fiedler, Jewish Sights of Bohemia and Moravia (1991), p. 43-44; International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Cemetery Project, Czech Republic, Kolodeje.  1. Jan Herman: Jewish Cemeteries in Bohemia and Moravia (1980); 2. J. Sakar: Dejiny mesta Tyna nad Vltavou a okoli (1935-36); 3. Notes of Statni Zidovske Muzeum Praha.  Other documentation exists but was inaccessible: Nos. 14, 22, 26, 59, 63 in archives of the Jewish Congregation in Praha.   

Compiled by E. Randol Schoenberg
Webmaster: Ann  L. Fuller (fuller.annl@gmail.com)

Last updated 4 August 2022
Copyright © 2013 E. Randol Schoenberg (randols@bslaw.net)