Ryglice Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish cemetery in Ryglice was established in the first half of the 19th century. It is located to the south-east of the town centre, on the west side of the road to Galia Górna and covers an area of 0.75 hectares. Before the war, the cemetery was enclosed with a brick fence, which was pulled down by locals and used for construction purposes. Some matzevot have also disappeared from the cemetery. In 1960, there were about 300 tombstones in the cemetery. In 2004–2006, the cemetery was cleaned and fenced at the initiative of the Association for the Restoration of Jewish Heritage in Ryglice. The tombstones were re-erected in neat rows on concrete bases. In 2020, the AntySchematy2 Foundation, in cooperation with students from the Economic and Horticultural School Complex in Tarnów and the Primary School in Ryglice, carried out work in the cemetery area. The tombstones were inventoried, and 175 tombstones and fragments of tombstones were identified.

Ryglice was first mentioned in 1301. The town was seriously damaged during the wars of the mid-17th century. The town began to seriously develop economically at the beginning of the 19th century. Ryglice was most likely granted town rights during the reign of King Casimir the Great (14th century), and its foundation status was renewed in 1824. The beginnings of Jewish settlement in the town date back to the mid-14th century, although the first written records of Jews date to 1669. The Jewish population increased after 1772 when Ryglice became a part of the Austrian partition and many Jews from areas belonging to Germany resettled there. At the beginning of the 19th century, the community numbered about 300 people. An independent Jewish community was likely established in the first half of the 19th century and which included Jews from nearby villages. In 1880, Jews constituted 14.4% of the total population in Ryglice (372 people). The town was an important centre for weaving.

At the end of the 19th century, the local network of roads was expanded, and local industry began to develop. During World War I, the town was occupied by the Russians for 7 months. A battle between the Russians and the Austrians was subsequently fought in the town in which many soldiers were killed, including at least one Jew who is buried in the local military cemetery. In 1939, 412 Jews lived in the town. During World War II, the Germans used the local Jewish population for labour, many of whom were later shot. By order of the Germans, they were initially buried at the execution site, and in 1942, they were exhumed and moved to the Jewish cemetery. On July 22, 1942, all the surviving Jews of Ryglice were deported to the ghetto in Tuchów, and then to death camp in Bełżec extermination camp.