Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Poland
Region
Masovian Voivodeship
District
Ostrołęka
Settlement
Myszyniec
Site address
The cemetery is situated in a forest along the north-eastern side of Most Kopański Street. The eastern side of the cemetery area adjoins 48, Most Kopański Street.
GPS coordinates
53.3897656, 21.3326383
Perimeter length
413 metres.
Is the cemetery demolished
yes
Type and height of existing fence
No fenced.
Preservation condition
Demolished Jewish cemetery that has not been built over
General site condition
The Jewish cemetery of Myszyniec is situated in a forested area in the north-western outskirts of the town. The site is covered with trees and bushes, its eastern side adjoins residential and commercial buildings. No traces of the cemetery have been preserved and there are no tombstones. A memorial stone at the edge of the forest marks the cemetery site.
Number of existing gravestones
No tombstones preserved.
Date of oldest tombstone
N/A
Date of newest tombstone
N/A
Urgency of erecting a fence
High
Land ownership
Municipality
Preserved construction on site
There is a Holocaust memorial to the Jews of Myszyniec with inscriptions in Hebrew, Polish and English.
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

The first records of Jews in Myszyniec date from the second half of the 18th century, though Jewish settlement only significantly developed in the following century. 364 Jews lived in the town in 1827, 727 in 1857, and 912 in 1921 (48% of the entire population). In 1939, the Germans deported all the Jews from Myszyniec. Some of them got to USSR-occupied territories, while some ended up in other cities. Most of those who remained in German-occupied territory were exterminated in the following years. The cemetery is located about 1.1 km northwest of the town centre, on the eastern side of Most Kopański Street.

The cemetery was established around 1850. The first mention of its existence dates to October 31, 1855: “The Jews of Myszyniec […], at their expense erected a synagogue, a study hall and a bathhouse in the place, and established a cemetery.” Earlier, the Jews of Myszyniec were buried in Ostrołęka. Before 1939, the cemetery was enclosed with a wooden fence, and there was a two-room wooden building at the entrance with the caretaker’s apartment and—probably—a room for the ritual cleaning of the body before burial.

The cemetery suffered significant damage during World War II and continued to degrade further in the following decades. The cemetery has since become a sand mine. When the sand was extracted, graves were destroyed, and bones were scattered. The graves were dug up by locals searching for gold teeth and valuables. An electric line also runs through the cemetery. As a result of this destruction, there are no traces of the cemetery.

The area is covered with deciduous forest. In 2016, at the initiative of Aharon Shachal, the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland erected a rock block monument with a plaque depicting the Star of David and displaying the following the inscription: “The Jewish cemetery. The monument commemorates the Jewish inhabitants of Myszyniec, who were expelled from their homes during World War II. May their memory be a blessing.” The owner of the cemetery is the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage. The facility is listed in the Provincial Register of Monuments.

Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery
Myszyniec Jewish Cemetery