Nyirgelse Jewish Cemetery in Szalmad

Cemetery Information

Country
Hungary
Region
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
District
Nyírbátori
Settlement
Nyírgelse
Site address
The cemetery is located in woodland at the end of a dirt road from Debreceni Street after the municipal cemetery.
GPS coordinates
47.75137, 21.99709
Perimeter length
120 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
No fence
Preservation condition
Unfenced Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The site is now forested with only one gravestone remaining. The site is free of litter.
Number of existing gravestones
1
Date of oldest tombstone
1855
Date of newest tombstone
N/A
Urgency of erecting a fence
High
Land ownership
Other
Preserved construction on site
No
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

There were two Jewish cemeteries in the modern territory of Nyírgelse. This cemetery belonged to the Jewish community of Szalmad and was established as early as 1855, which is the date marked on the oldest tombstone found in the cemetery. No other stones have been found in the cemetery and it has not been fenced.

In 1880, the total population of the village was 1,063, including 130 Jews. Over the subsequent decades, the Jewish population in the village was as follows: 106 in 1910, 100 in 1920, 52 in 1930, and 64 in 1941. In 1944, the Orthodox community of Nyírgelse had 64 members, 10 of whom were taxpayers. The village had no rabbi, though the registrar rabbi was Kisziel Lichtenstein. Nine members of the community were later taken to labour service. On April 14, 1944, the Jews of Nyírgelse were taken to the Nyíregyháza Ghetto.