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Nysa New Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Poland
Region
Opole Voivodeship
District
Nysa
Settlement
Nysa
Site address
Adjacent to 32, Zygmunta Kaczkowskiego Street.
GPS coordinates
50.48952, 17.35322
Perimeter length
310 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
No fence
Preservation condition
Unfenced Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The New Jewish cemetery of Nysa is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the town. The cemetery is situated in a wooded area, surrounded by residential properties on the western and eastern sides; the northern border of the cemetery is Kaczkowskiego street and from the south cemetery is adjacent to a Catholic cemetery. The cemetery area is overgrown with trees and bushes. A couple dozen tombstones have been preserved. On some tombstones there is evidence of continuing vandalism (some stones have been smashed).
Number of existing gravestones
28. 28 lying fragments (broken pieces and pedestals) of tombstones were found. Some fragments have decorative elements and inscriptions in Hebrew and German. The inscriptions on the preserved fragments of tombstones do not include dates or other information.
Date of oldest tombstone
N/A
Date of newest tombstone
N/A
Urgency of erecting a fence
High
Land ownership
State
Preserved construction on site
No
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

Nysa was given town rights in 1223. The first records of Jewish settlement in the town date back to 1319. In 1410, a wooden synagogue was built. In 1468, the De Non Tolerandis Judeis privilege was adopted. At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a revival of the Jewish community in Nysa. In 1838, a plot of land was purchased for the building of a synagogue. In the 1840s, 278 Jews lived in Nysa (2.5% of the total population). In 1861, the Jewish community numbered 464 people. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, there was increased migration of the Jewish population to the west. In 1932, only 220 Jews lived in the town, which constituted 0.6% of the total population. After the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), some Jews left Nysa. In July 1942, the Jews of Nysa were transported to the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The new Jewish cemetery in Nysa is located on Zygmunta Kaczkowskiego Street, northeast of the town center. The necropolis was established in 1815. It is located in the vicinity of the Catholic and Evangelical cemeteries. In 1871, by the decision of the Jewish community, the area of the cemetery was enlarged. The last known burial took place in 1928. In 1939, the cemetery became the property of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany. In June 1943, it was taken over by the Gestapo. During World War II, the cemetery was devastated. The destruction continued after 1945. By decision of the authorities, the cemetery was closed for burials in 1967. At that time, there were about 100 damaged tombstones in the necropolis. Fragments of about 25 broken matzevot have survived to today. There are fragments of typical decorations and inscriptions in German and Hebrew on some of them. The cemetery covers about 0.58 hectares. It is shaped like an elongated quadrilateral and was originally surrounded by a fence with brick posts. Its remains have been preserved on the southwest side. The outline of the cemetery alley has also been maintained. Today, there is a path in this place. The area is covered with trees and bushes. The cemetery is not marked or commemorated.

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