Teplice was until II. World War II inextricably linked with its Jewish community, which played a significant role in the economic life of Teplice.
Its members can be found everywhere, in shops, banking, and of course spas. They were literally the backbone of the city coffers, because as Jews they had to pay higher taxes and fees for everything possible and impossible. For example, for a passage to your own cemetery. Their partial equalization did not occur until the 18th century during the reign of Joseph II, they could enjoy full freedom only from 1861. Only now could they own and lease land without restriction.
It was at the end of the 19th century that the Jewish community began to grow significantly, which led in 1882 to the construction of a new synagogue, the most spacious that was ever built in Bohemia. In 1890, the Jewish community numbered 1,865 people and was the largest Jewish community in Bohemia after Prague. After World War I, it continued to grow, mainly by fleeing Jewish families from Eastern Europe. In 1935, 5,000 people professed Judaism.
After the occupation of the Sudetenland by Germany, the Jews left nearly six hundred villas, houses and apartments abandoned, as well as two-thirds of all the shops in the city. Events II. World War II and the Holocaust were a disaster for Jewish culture and population. It was no different in Teplice. Most of the handful of survivors moved to the newly formed state of Israel in the post-war years. Today, the Jewish community in Teplice has about 100 members. The above-mentioned large synagogue was burned down on the night of March 14-15, 1939 and later demolished. Today, we can only admire its beauty in period photographs.
