The oldest written reference to Jewish settlement in Boskovice is from 1343, but it’s presumed that a strong community was not established there until 1454, when Moravian royal cities banished their Jewish populations, who then sought refuge in the towns of the more tolerant landowning nobles. A fully fledged Jewish quarter existed in Boskovice from the early 1500s, but the inhabitants were severely limited in their rights and paid higher taxes than Christian residents. Restrictions on employment meant that most Jews became craftsmen such as potters, tailors, goldsmiths, bakers, or leatherworkers; or dealt in financial matters such as money-lending.
The Jewish quarter in Boskovice exhibits the typical characteristics of Jewish settlements in Moravia. It lies between the landowning noble’s palace and the market square of the Christian town, and the houses and public buildings are built closely together in crooked laneways according to no overall plan. The limited space available meant that both fire and disease spread more quickly than in the Christian part of town. When the crowded Jewish quarter suffered a far higher proportion of deaths in the 1715-1716 plague epidemic than did the Christian town, the authorities (with somewhat questionable logic) decided to contain the quarter behind gates and walls. The worst of the frequent fires occurred in 1823, when almost all of the buildings were seriously damaged or completely destroyed.
When the revolutionary year of 1848 brought a relaxation from the restrictive conditions of the middle ages, the Jewish quarter flourished, and by the year 1857 the population had reached 1810, which was about a third of Boskovice’s population at the time. The Jewish town became independent politically and had its own mayor, police and fire brigade. Later in the 19th century the population began to decline as many of the Jewish families used their new freedom to migrate to larger cities in search of better economic conditions. In 1919, the political independence of the Jewish quarter was dissolved and it was integrated with the rest of the town.
By the time of the 1939 invasion, the Jewish population of Boskovice was 458. Only 14 of these were to survive the wartime deportations.
The Jewish quarter today is part of the urban preservation zone and more than 20 buildings are considered to be of special historical importance. These include the meat shops on U Vážné studny square, the schoolhouse on Bílkova Ul. and the ritual bathhouse at 8 U Koupadel. The oldest medieval part of the quarter is the central area around U Vážné studny, U Koupadel and Traplova streets. The gateway at the eastern end of Plaèkova Ul. is the last remaining piece of the wall that separated the Jewish quarter from the rest of the town. The most important of the buildings are marked with explanatory plaques, some with maps and historical photos. The short descriptions are in Czech only, but the maps and diagrams are informative and an English translation is available from tourist information.