Sienno Jewish Cemetery

While the first records of Jews in Sienno date to the 16th century, Jewish settlement began to significantly develop in the second half of the following century. In 1921, 735 Jews lived in the village (43.6% of the entire population), most of whom were killed at the end of 1942 by the Germans in Treblinka.

The cemetery is located about 200 metres southwest of the market square, in the former Stara Wieś, between Partyzantów Street and the Wolanka River. The cemetery covers a trapezoid-shaped plot of land with an area of approximately 0.76 hectares. The cemetery’s establishment date is unknown, though it is possible that it was established at the end of the 18th century. It certainly existed before 1837, which is confirmed in records relating to the establishment of the synagogue supervision in Iłża. In 1860, the cemetery covered the area of 1 acre. In 1869, the authorities agreed to enlarge the cemetery. During World War II, the cemetery was used for executions. In the fall of 1942, the German military policemen shot a man named Nojech in the cemetery. The destruction of the cemetery likely began during the war. On December 15, 1962, the Presidium of the Municipal National Council in Sienno adopted a resolution to close the cemetery. The ordinance was signed by the Minister of Municipal Economy on June 26, 1964. Nearly all above-ground traces of the cemetery have vanished. Until at least the 1980’s, the area was used as a pasture. In 1982, a symbolic brick gate was erected at the edge of the cemetery. Years later, a plaque with an inscription in Hebrew and Polish was placed in the cemetery, which read: “Eternal remembrance to the victims, Jews from the town of Sienno, who died at the hands of fascists during World War II.” Several dozen sandstone stelae were placed at the gate. The boundaries of the cemetery are partially visible as the remains of the embankment (or trench) are visible on LIDAR maps. The area is overgrown with shrubs and trees.