Sandomierz Old Jewish Cemetery

Sandomierz was first a duchy, then a voivodeship, and was established as early as the 11th century. It was founded under Magdeburg law prior to 1227, the rights of which were renewed in 1286. The earliest mention of a Jewish community in Sandomierz was in 1367. Jews lived mainly at Żydowska Street, on the west side of the market square, where the main jewish community institutions were located. In the second half of the 16th century, about 200 Jews lived in Sandomierz. In 1655 and 1656, during the Swedish Deluge, Swedish and then Polish troops slaughtered several hundred Jews in the city and destroyed Jewish buildings. During the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous blood libel trials were held in the city, leading to death sentences and the temporary expulsion of Jews from Sandomierz. The Jewish community of Sandomierz reached its height in the 20th century, accounting for approximately 3,800 of the total population of 7,000 (about 54%). However, the population dropped by 1939 to 2,575 Jews who accounted for 22.7% of the total population (11,343). After World War II, a group of Jews who had survived the Holocaust lived in Sandomierz for several years. The Jewish Committee operated there until 1948.

The first cemetery was likely established before 1367, and the earliest records date to the second half of the 15th century. It was located about 250 metres north-west from the market square, outside the city walls, in Przedmieście Opatowskie, on the slope of the ravine (on the western side of the present Podwale Dolne Street). In 1655, it was devastated by the Swedish army. The cemetery was shaped like an irregular polygon with an area of about 0.6 hectares. The cemetery was in use until around 1830 when a new cemetery was established.

The cemetery was destroyed during World War II, after which the land was used for agriculture and cattle grazing. In 1966, the area was crossed by Tatarska Street, parceled out, and built-up with single-family houses. Currently, there are no visible signs of the cemetery and no tombstones have been found.