A numerous Jewish settlement was documented in the city from the first half of the 16th century. In 1694, there were 8 Jewish families living in Milevsko, 90 Jews in 1849, and the highest number, 172 Jews, in 1890. Afterwards, their number decreased; in 1910 there were 133 Jews in Milevsko, and in 1930 only 81 Jews.
The Jewish quarter likely originated in the 18th century on the southeast side of Hus Square and in the western part of Sokolovská Street. Six adjacent residential houses have still been preserved, partly as reconstructions.
The old synagogue on Beneš Square is part of house No. 387. It was likely built after 1600. In the early 19th century, the front house was enlarged and enlarged, so the synagogue merged with it and today forms the cellar of this house. On the side street, the upper half of the original main entrance is visible above the cobblestones as a plain granite late Gothic portal.
The new synagogue on Sokolovská Street, near the Old Syna-gogue, was built in 1914-1919 based on plans by the Prague archi-tect Střílek. Its exterior is characterized by a unique combination of Classicist and Cubist elements designed by the leading Czech Cubist architect, O. Tyl. The synagogue was used by the Jewish community until the Second World War, and since 1950 has been used as a prayer hall for the Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
The cemetery is located 1.7 km northeast of the Milevsko town square near the yellow and green hiking trails. It was founded at the turn of 1713 and 1714, it was expanded several times, and eventually reached its present size of 1,942 square meters. There are approx-imately 240 tombstones placed in regular long rows from the time of its foundation until 1938. The front of the cemetery holds a cere-monial hall built in 1928 in eclectic style with Cubist elements. The cemetery is freely accessible.
Interesting: Tombstone decorations often contain symbols that relate directly to the person of the deceased, such as his personal name or profes-sion. At the Milevsko cemetery there is a pair of wolves on the tomb of Binjamin Zeev from the middle of the 18th century (the wolf sym-bolizes the name Wolf or Zeev), while the tombstone of Chava Hahn from 1849 is decorated with the motif of its translation, a rooste