Boryslav Old Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Lviv
District
Drohobych
Settlement
Boryslav
Site address
The cemetery site is located adjacent to the house at 8, Drogobitska Street.
GPS coordinates
49.29319,23.42052
Perimeter length
680 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
yes
Type and height of existing fence
No fence
Preservation condition
Demolished and overbuilt Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery site is overbuilt with a furniture shop and a market.
Number of existing gravestones
No tombstones preserved
Date of oldest tombstone
Date of newest tombstone
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Municipality
Preserved construction on site
There is a memorial sign on the cemetery site.
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

According to Yizkor Borislav, the Jewish cemetery was established in 1886 on the plot, donated by David Lindenbaum. It is marked on the Austro-Hungarian map of 1880s. The cemetery operated till 1913 and was demolished before WWII. Some gravestones were relocated to the Jewish sector of the Boryslav municipal cemetery.

The Jews started to settle down in Boryslav from the early 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century, two synagogues and a Jewish cemetery were operated. In 1890, the Jewish population stood up 7,363 (79% of the total population). From the mid-19th century until 1914, the Jewish population was mainly worked in oil fields. In 1910, the Jewish community consisted of 5753 people (45% of the total population). In 1891, a Jewish vocational school, funded by Baron Hirsch, was opened. In the interwar period, the Jewish community faced an economic crisis. In 1921, the Jews numbered 10,149 (32,5% of the total population). The Zionism movement was active in the city during these days. By 1939, about 13,000 Jews resided in Boryslav. On July 1, 1941, the Wehrmacht troops occupied the city and organised a Jewish ghetto. The pogroms in the early days of July 1941, took lives of 350 Jews. During the actions on 29-30 November 1941, 1,500 Jews were executed. In August 1942, 5,000 Jews were deported to Belzec death camp. Boryslav ghetto was liquidated in May-June 1943. After the end of WWII, around 400 Jews returned to the city from the surrounding forests, camps and evacuation. Many of them migrated to Palestine and other countries. According to the Jewish Agency, the estimated Jewish population of Boryslav in 1994 was 300 (0.1% of the total population).

3D model