Lomza New Jewish Cemetery

The first records of Jews in Łomża date back to the end of the 15th century. Restrictions on Jewish settlement were introduced in 1598. The Jewish community began to revive at the turn of the 19th century. In 1921, 9,131 Jews (41% of the total population) lived in the city and, in 1941-1943, most of them were killed by the Germans in nearby Giełczyn and in KL Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The cemetery is located about 1 km south-east of the old market square, parallel to Boczna Street, on a slope to the east, with the entrance on Wąska Street, and covers a rectangular plot with an area of 2.19 hectares. The cemetery was established around 1890. At that time, it was located outside of the main city centre. In 1910, Rabbi Malkiel Tannenbaum was buried in the cemetery. During World War II, the Germans executed Jews and Poles in the cemetery. The degradation and destruction of the cemetery likely began during the war and was continued through the following years. The funeral house was transformed into apartments. In 1964, the Minister of Municipal Economy signed an order to close the cemetery. In 1992, in connection with the visit of President Chaim Herzog, the municipal authorities cleaned up the cemetery. From 1999, the cemetery was taken care of by the Łomża Jewish Cemetery Foundation. Currently, there are over 700 tombstones in the cemetery (the list is available at https://cemetery.jewish.org.pl/list/c_54) in various conditions, mostly in the form of steles and obelisks, made of sandstone and granite. At the main alley, there is a partially ruined architectural tombstone, housing an inscription plate, under which Rabbi Malkiel Tannenbaum is buried. In the south-western part of the cemetery is the former funeral house which is currently unused. The original layout of the cemetery, with the main avenue and quarters, is partially visible. The area is fenced with a pre-war brick wall and a contemporary wall made of prefabricated concrete spans. The owner of the cemetery is the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage. The facility is listed in the Municipal and Provincial Register of Monuments and the Register of Immovable Monuments.