Olsztyn Jewish Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Country
Poland
Region
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
District
Olsztyn
Settlement
Olsztyn
Site address
Zyndrama z Maszkowic Street, 2. Olsztyn.
GPS coordinates
53.775570, 20.468135
Perimeter length
377 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
Concrete wall with metal spans up to 2 meters high and metal entrance gate.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
Jewish cemetery of Olsztyn is well-maintained, fenced and protected. Cemetery area is located in an old park, amongst more than hundred-year-old trees (mainly lime trees). A pre-funeral home and a smaller building of a former gardener's apartment have survived in the cemetery. Several tombstone pedestals have preserved in their original places.
Number of existing gravestones
There are 3 tombstone fragments in their original places: two concrete frames of the graves which grew into the trees and thus survived, and a concrete fallen stella. Several stone pieces of brick and concrete, scattered around the cemetery, are probably also fragments of tombstones. Other remaining tombstones fragments are 100 small pieces recovered from the area around the former Casablanka restaurant at Zamkowa Street, which are deposited in the pre-funeral house.
Date of oldest tombstone
N/A
Date of newest tombstone
1924 (piece in the beit-tahara)
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Other
Preserved construction on site
At the entrance gate there are two buildings: a reconstructed beit-tahara and smaller house belonging to the former cemetery gardener and janitor.
Drone surveys
No
Historical overview
The Jewish cemetery on Jeziorna Street (formerly known as Seestrasse, Śląska Street, and now Zyndrama Street) in Olsztyn, Poland, was established in 1818 or 1819. It was located near the intersection of Jeziorna Street and ul. Miłakowska (formerly Liebstädter Straße, now Grunwaldzka Street). The plot was purchased from the city, and the cemetery was later enclosed by a wall. In 1912-1913, a funeral home designed by Erich Mendelsohn was constructed on the side of Jeziorna Street.
The cemetery endured its first act of devastation on the 2nd February 1936, and was subjected to further destruction during the Kristallnacht on the 9th November, 1938. Despite this, burials continued until 1940 or 1941. The last interments took place in 1949. While the cemetery survived the war reasonably intact, a local newspaper, "Życie Olsztyna," highlighted the need for fence improvement in 1949.
Marian Smoliński, a Jewish resident of Olsztyn, post-war, took it upon himself to care for and protect the cemetery from vandalism. In the fall of 1958, the cemetery suffered another devastating episode. Graves were desecrated, and valuable tombstones were stolen, leaving open pits and exposed human remains. The cemetery subsequently became a gathering spot for marginalized individuals and a playground for preschool children.
After the removal of tombstones, it is known that the grave marker of Rachel Mendelsohn nee Moses (6th April 1811 – 15th October 1865) was preserved until 1967. In 1955, the cemetery was officially closed.
Following the passing of M. Smoliński around 1968/1969, the cemetery was gradually dismantled in the early 1970s. The remaining tombstones were taken away, and the area was transformed into a park. Only fragments of tombs now remain embedded in trees. The tombstones removed from the cemetery were incorporated into the surroundings of the former Casablanka restaurant at Zamkowa Street.
After years of neglect, the cemetery gained renewed interest from members of the Society of Olsztyn Enthusiasts and the "Borussia" Cultural Community. These groups have undertaken educational initiatives, organized clean-up efforts at cemeteries, and contributed to the preservation of Olsztyn's Jewish heritage.
