The Jewish cemetery in Veľký Meder was established no later than the 1870s. Today, around 200 tombstones remain, dating from the late 19th century up to World War II.
The ESJF is delighted to have had the opportunity to fence this cemetery, providing it with much-needed protection.
Our sincere thanks go to the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office of Germany) for their financial support, to our local partners at Židia na Slovensku (Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia) for their cooperation, and to our national coordinator, Henrich Stern.
The Jewish community of Veľký Meder suffered devastating losses in the Shoah. In early May 1944, a ghetto was established in the town. Within a month, its residents, together with Jews from surrounding villages, were moved to the deportation center in Komárno, and on June 5, they were sent to the Auschwitz death camp.
After the war, around one hundred survivors returned to Veľký Meder. The community was re-established, numbering 96 members in 1948, and several communal buildings were restored. However, most survivors emigrated to Israel in 1949. A small Jewish community remained in Veľký Meder until the early 1960s, after which the last members joined the neighboring Jewish community.