Sztabin Jewish Cemetery

Jewish settlement in Sztabin likely began to develop in the 18th century. In 1776, there was a synagogue in the town and the local Jews were subordinate to the kehilla in Suchowola. In 1789, 58 Jews lived in Sztabin, 224 in 1821, and 946 in 1891 (66% of the entire population). During the 1921 census, 62 Jews were recorded as living in Sztabin. In 1941, the Germans deported the Jews of Sztabin to Augustów and most of them were exterminated between 1942–1943.

The cemetery is located about 700 metres northwest of the town centre, on the west side of Augustowska Street. According to information from the Commune Office in Sztabin, the cemetery was probably located within the contemporary geodetic plots No. 142/7, 142/8, and 144/20. The cemetery’s establishment date is unknown, though it was probably established at the turn of the 19th century. One preserved tombstone dated 1802 suggests that the cemetery must have existed before then. Over the years, the cemetery has seriously deteriorated. In the period of the Polish People’s Republic, a residential block was built in the cemetery. The rest of the area is covered with forest. There is no fence, and the boundaries are unclear, but they are partly marked by an embankment. In 2014, there was a concrete block in the cemetery, which was likely a tomb stabilizing the stele. There is no form of commemoration or memorials of any kind. The tombstones from the cemetery were secured in the Roman Gębicz Regional Chamber in Sztabin. These include the following: a granite fieldstone stele commemorating Mosze, Szemaja’s son, who died on June 2, 1802; a cast iron stele (without the base with the date of death) commemorating Jehuda, son of Mordechaj; and a stele made of granite fieldstone (inscription unreadable).
The plots of land which were separated from the cemetery are privately owned.