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History
A Benedictine Monastery was founded in a strategic
position at the crossing of Jihlava River, in 1101. Its
existence stimulated the establishment of a market, which
brought traders and amongst them also Jews. This was the
beginning of a structural development of the monastery
together with the settlement, called ‘Podklasteri’ (lit.
beneath the monastery) in its immediate vicinity, and the
town of Trebic itself on the other side of the river.
The Jewish Quarter was sited in the focal point of the
commercially expanding settlement, close to the monastery
and the ford across the river. Not having any defences, it
went through the same fate as the rest of the town, and had
to suffer of many attacks and destructions, such as those in
the 15 th century by the Hungarian king. In favourable
years, the site developed and prospered allowing the
necessary facilities to be built. In the 16 th century, orders
were issued to expel the Jews but these were not carried
out. As a whole the authorities were here much more
tolerant than elsewhere in Europe. In earlier years, the
Jews were involved in money lending, but also working in
some crafts: tanning, bead firing, glove making, and soap
making. From the 17 th century on, they were mainly
involved in trade and such crafts. There were further
destructive events in the subsequent centuries, including
fires and frequent floods – in areas close to the river.
From the beginning, the Jewish Quarter had its own selfgovernment
with an elected magistrate and two
councillors. In 1849, it had its own administration led by a
mayor, and it was called Zamosti (lit. over the bridge). In
the 1920s, the area was merged with the town of Trebic,
and the population started being mixed. In 1890, there
were nearly 1,500 Jews in this area, but in the 1930s only
300 were of Jewish faith. All Jewish residents were
deported during the Second World War, and none are left
at present. The houses are now owned by people of non-
Jewish faith.
The Benedictine monastery, established in the early 12 th
century was richly endowed, and an important centre of
ecclesiastical life and economic development. The first
monastic church was rebuilt during the reign of King
Wenceslas I (1230-53), being ready in the 1250s. After
some damage in 1468, the church was repaired at the end
of the century. During the first half of the 16 th century, the
monastery was rebuilt as a castle, and fully renovated in
baroque style in 1666-84. There were various minor
changes also in the basilica, which was then restored by a
well-known Czech architect, Frantisek Maxmilian Kanka.
The works began in 1726, and restoration of the nave was
concluded in 1733. Externally several windows were
widened and buttresses added, the south-west tower was
rebuilt, and a new west front with two towers was
constructed in the style of gothicising baroque. While
avoiding any radical ‘restorations’, the church was subject
to some restoration in the 1920s and 1930s. The southern
chapel, which had been destroyed, was rebuilt in the
1950s.
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Management regime
Legal provision:
The conservation legislation in the Czech Republic, dating
from 1987 with subsequent amendments, includes the
protection of historic towns. The historic town of Trebic
was declared a conservation area in 1990. The Jewish
Quarter and St. Procopius Basilica with the castle and
gardens are included within the Trebic conservation area
(1990), which extends on both sides of the river Jihlava.
All sites are surrounded by a common buffer zone (1996).
Out of the 120 buildings of the area, 11 are protected as
listed monuments, including the two synagogues and
houses, as well as the cemetery and St. Procopius Basilica.
At the same time, all buildings in the conservation area are
protected, and the buildings in the buffer zone are subject
to planning control. Of the 120 buildings in Jewish
Quarter, 90% are privately owned.
Management structure:
Management is exercised at different levels. At the level of
the Trebic town, it is the responsibility of the city
administration and planning office. The Trebic Fund has
the role to obtain funding from different sources, and to
initiate legal acts to sustain its activities and to promote the
profile of local monuments. The District Council, the
department of culture, is responsible for the supervision of
protection and maintenance in the protected area and
buffer zone. The regional office of the State Monuments
Institute, Brno, participates in the development of relevant
policies. At the State level, the Ministry of Culture,
Monument Care Section, assigns financial resources from
the state budget. The State Institute for Monument Care,
Prague, offers professional methodological assistance in
the preparation of conservation and restoration
programmes and projects.
The whole nominated area is subject to the territorial
conservation plan of the town of Trebic, which is one of
the protected historic towns in the Czech Republic. Apart
from protection, the plan provides for the functional use,
control of heights and volumes of new constructions, and
for traffic management in the area. Trebic is registered in
the government-approved programme for the regeneration.
The citizens of Trebic are reported to be proud of their
city.
Resources:
Over the past decade, the State has provided financial
resources on a regular base both for the Jewish Quarter and
St. Procopius Basilica. The District Council of Trebic has
also provided funding for the restoration of historic
buildings in the Jewish Quarter. The owners of all
buildings, whether listed or not, are eligible for financial
aid, following conditions based on the conservation law. In
2002, 35 owners have applied for such aid to repair
external wall renderings and roofs. In 1999, there was a
similar action, focused on the improvement of utilities,
including sewage.