Tuszyn Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Poland
Region
Lodzkie Voivodeship
District
Łódź
Settlement
Tuszyn
Site address
Adjacent to 9, Wrzosowa Street.
GPS coordinates
51.6141002, 19.5047719
Perimeter length
357 meters. The supposed area of the cemetery was described by a resident of 9, Wrzosowa Street.
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
Along Wrzosowa Street there is a metal mesh fence about 1.5m high. The other sides are the fences of the adjoining properties.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
It is not possible to enter the cemetery. To the north, east and south, the area is surrounded by private estates. From the west (from Wrzosowa Street) it is fenced with a metal mesh fence, without a gate. In 2020, a stone with an information board was erected. The stone was erected on the initiative of a teacher from primary school No. 2 in Tuszyn in agreement with a Jewish institution (likely to be the Jewish Religious Community in Łódź-the owner of the land where the cemetery is located). Apparently, about 40-50 tombstones have survived in the cemetery. A new fence is planned to be erected to allow access to the site. There are fragments of matzevot at the site according to sztetl.org.
Number of existing gravestones
About 40-50 gravestones. The tombstones are located closer to the southern part of the cemetery, near 7, Wrzosowa Street.
Date of oldest tombstone
N/A
Date of newest tombstone
N/A
Urgency of erecting a fence
Low
Land ownership
Other
Preserved construction on site
There is a memorial marking the cemetery.
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

Tuszyn was established in 1416. The first mention of Jewish settlement dates back to the 17th century. In 1897, the community numbered 589 residents, comprising 36% of the total population. During World War II, Jews from Tuszyn and neighboring villages were transported to the ghetto in Piotrków Trybunalski, and from there, to the death camp at Treblinka.

The Jewish cemetery in Turzyn is located in Tuszyn-Las, by what today is 3 Maja Street.

The older residents refer to it as “kirchol.” The date of the cemetery’s founding is unknown. During World War II, the cemetery was destroyed by the Germans and further destruction was perpetrated after the war. Matzevot were used in the construction of fences, paving roads, and are still being found today in various places around the city. Currently the cemetery is part of the area of the Municipal Center of Sport and Recreation, previously the Police Vacation Center. It is assumed that part of the missing tombstones from the cemetery are at the bottom of the pool built in the center in the 1950s. There existed a wall constructed out of tombstones on Poprzeczna Street until 2019. It is not known what happened to the tombstones after it was taken apart.

On November 30th 2020, a memorial was erected with an information plaque marking the area as the site of the Jewish cemetery.