The parking garage above the graves of Jews in Plzeň will probably be on an elevated platform

Plzeň - The parking garage, which is supposed to be part of the shopping and entertainment center Plaza in Plzeň for 1.2 billion crowns, will likely be built at the originally planned location. However, due to the archaeological discovery of old Jewish graves, it will probably not be constructed on piles, but on an elevated foundation slab. Archaeologists found remnants of a Jewish cemetery from the 15th century during their survey in October. According to Jewish tradition, it is forbidden to dig, disturb, or relocate graves at a burial site.
    The entire case has sparked significant international attention, and several rabbis from various countries visited Plzeň due to the discovered graves and the construction. Representatives of the Jewish community and the builders agreed today that the parking garage for 450 cars should be built on a slab about 1.5 meters above the ground.
    The location where the remnants of the graves were found will remain untouched. There will be an air gap above it and a bridging structure. This proposal still needs to be definitively approved by European Jewish authorities, said Martin Kodrle, the project coordinator, and Eva Štixová, the chairwoman of the Plzeň Jewish community, to ČTK today.
    Today’s solution to the situation is based on a proposal brought forward by the builders. The strip where the remnants of the old graves are located is about five meters wide. During one of the meetings at the beginning of November, Rabbi Karol Sidon, for example, suggested that the entire construction of the parking garage should be moved by those five or six meters. However, the builders stated that shifting it would be quite problematic, as the construction is already on the property line according to the current plans, and there is nowhere to move it. A memorial plaque commemorating the burial site may be placed at the location, Štixová said.
    "Once we have some final statements from the rabbis, it will be necessary to slightly amend the documentation, and we will have to negotiate with the building authority and the city," Kodrle said. Initially, the Jews themselves did not have a unified opinion on the resolution of the problem. While some agreed with the construction of the slab, others demanded the relocation of the entire structure.
    "It stirs emotions. There are two completely different opinions on this. Some say it is possible to build above it (the graves), while others say it is not possible. As always with the Jews, there are two opinions on it," Sidon told ČTK at the beginning of November.
    Old documents indicated that there could be an old Jewish burial site in the area. This was confirmed by the mandatory archaeological survey. No tombstones were found at the construction site, just rectangular patches of graves. Until the situation is resolved, there is no construction equipment on site.
    Plaza began construction in the middle of Plzeň in September, nearly after three years of preparation and negotiations with the city council. They wanted to open it by the end of 2007, and by this winter, the main building was supposed to be under a roof. The Plzeň Plaza project is expected to cover an area of 95,000 square meters. It will feature a supermarket, a hundred shops, bowling, restaurants, cinema halls, and a Fantasy Park. Plaza will renovate the neighboring amphitheater, and in the second half of the area, there will be sports and relaxation zones.