Jewish Cemetery in Zabrze

The Jewish cemetery in Zabrze lies on Cmentarna street in the Zandka district. It was established in 1871-1872, when a Jewish community was forming in Zabrze and the nearest Jewish cemeteries were in Bytom and Gliwice. The plot was donated to the community by Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck.

History

Burials took place from 1871 to 1954. The oldest surviving gravestones are the graves of Helene Schüller (1871) and of Moritz Adler and Johanna Friedmann (1872). Most funeral matters were handled by the burial society Chevra Kadisha. More than 678 people were buried here.

Layout and gravestones

The cemetery covers about 2.2 hectares and is divided into 14 sections. About 500 gravestones have survived: modest matzevot stand next to monumental family tombs, which is sometimes read as a trace of partial assimilation in Prussian society. Many marble and granite gravestones were stolen. The grounds have 266 trees of 13 species.

Condition and care

The cemetery is closed to burials and listed in the heritage register. Formerly neglected, it was vandalised twice in 1991-1992. Since 1989 it has been looked after by the Social Committee for the Care of the Jewish Cemetery in Zabrze.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Cmentarna 15, Zabrze.
• It is worth checking the rules for entering the cemetery with the committee that looks after it before a visit. Gravity and respect for the burial place are expected at the cemetery.