The Rabbinical House in Tachov is a cultural monument, the site awaits renovation

Alfred Grotte, synagogue (demolished) and rabbi's house (right), Tachov, 1911 - 1912

Tachov - Evidence of Jewish settlement in the Tachov region, which dates back at least to the end of the 15th century, is the rabbi's house on the street below the central square in Tachov. The Ministry of Culture has declared it a new cultural monument. Both owners and the civic association Synagogue Tachov want to repair the house and restore the entire complex with the garden. CTK was told this by Jana Tichá, spokesperson for the National Heritage Institute.
    The corner building of the rabbi's house, which housed the rabbinical office, meeting hall, classroom, and staff apartments of the religious community, was built between 1911 and 1912 together with the neighboring synagogue, which no longer exists, as a brick two-story building with a residential attic. On the southern and eastern sides, a secessionist fence surrounds the garden, where the synagogue originally stood, which was burned down during the "Kristallnacht" in November 1938.
    "The designer of the complex was architect Alfred Grotte, an outstanding expert on Central European synagogal architecture," said Tichá. It was designed in a modern style, rooted in late Art Nouveau, and the synagogue and rabbi's house were unified by the elements used and connected.
    The architecture of the house is still highlighted by the pair of steep triangular gables on the eastern and northern sides. The interior has preserved most of the original constructions and a number of artisanal elements such as railings, window and door fillings, flooring, wooden door cladding in the former rabbi's apartment. The civic association Synagogue Tachov is preparing a total reconstruction and rehabilitation of the complex, Tichá stated.
    "The owner wants to make the entire garden accessible to the public. He is gradually restoring it to its original state," said Lenka Líbalová from the heritage protection department of the Tachov town hall. According to her, there is "excellent cooperation" with the association that is taking care of the restoration; it also cooperates with the Tachov museum. In the garden, the association plans to outline the floor plan of the synagogue and the remains of the original walls according to period documents. The speed of repair will depend on finances. They are applying for grants, but the amounts are not large today, she said.
    According to Líbalová, the complex is part of the city's heritage zone. "The city greatly welcomes its restoration. We are in talks with the owner and the association. The association has already received its first grant from the Plzeň Region this year, amounting to 50,000 crowns for the restoration of windows, doors, and fillings," she said.
    There is another Jewish monument in Tachov. It is the Jewish cemetery on Plzeňská Street below the Rapotín housing estate. It is a cultural monument owned by the Jewish community, which plans its restoration.
    In the first half of the year, the ministry declared 43 buildings as cultural monuments. In the Plzeň Region, a steel bridge over the Manětín stream, an apartment building in Plzeň, and a water mill in Zahrádka were also recognized.