Glowno Jewish Cemetery

Główno was founded as a private noble town and was granted town rights in 1427. Jewish settlement in Główno began to develop in 1730 when the then owner of the town brought Jews in, hoping to revive the local crafts and trade economy. In 1793, 198 Jews lived in the city, constituting 62% of the total population. In 1822, an independent community (kehilla) was established. In 1827, 784 Jews (77% of the population) lived in Główno, and 1,430 in 1921 (59% of the total population). During World War II, on May 12, 1940, the Germans established a ghetto in the town, in which they gathered over 7,000 people, including Jews from Konstantynów Łódzki, Brzeziny, Zgierz, and Aleksandrów Łódzki. In March 1941, the Jews from the Głowno Ghetto were transported to the Warsaw Ghetto, and then to the extermination camp in Treblinka.

The cemetery’s exact establishment date is unknown, though it was likely established in the mid-18th century. During World War II, the cemetery fell into disrepair. The matzevot were used to harden the surface of the roads. After 1945, the local authorities approved the construction of a factory in the cemetery. In 1975, the Mrożyczka artificial lake was created in the area adjacent to the cemetery. Today, a part of the cemetery remains built-up, while the rest is a playground. Fragments of the recovered matzevot are stored in the Regional Museum in Główno, at Łowicka Street. The earliest preserved fragment dates to 1812.