Jewish headstones used as paving stones found in Prague development project

Dozens of paving stones made from Jewish headstones have been found during redevelopment work in Prague’s tourist district, the Guardian reports.

The discovery came in the opening phase of renovation of the city’s iconic Wenceslas Square, the report says.

“We feel this is a victory for us because until now this was just a rumour. Maybe there were Jewish stones here, but nobody knew,” says Rabbi Chaim Kočí, a senior official with the Prague rabbinate.

“It’s important because it’s a matter of truth.“We are making something right for the historical record. These are stones from the graves of people who were dead for maybe 100 years and now they are lying here. It’s not nice.”

The Guardian says it is believed that the Communist authorities took stonework from Jewish burial sites for the pedestrianisation of Wenceslas Square during the 1980s.