Jewish Cemetery in Żory

The Jewish cemetery in Żory was founded in 1814 and is the oldest necropolis in the town. It lies on Cmentarna street and covers 0.58 hectares. It is a place of remembrance for the Jewish community of Żory, today surrounded by a wall and a fence.

History and destruction

The funeral home was destroyed in 1945, and in the 1960s its ruins were pulled down. The cemetery fell into ruin, and during the communist period its grounds were used as a sports pitch. The first inventory of the gravestones was made in 1985 and repeated in 1994.

The cemetery today

About 130 gravestones survive, 45 of them upright. A group of 59 old protected trees grows on the site. In 2024 the grounds were tidied, a lapidarium for toppled gravestones (matzevot) was set up in the southern corner, and boards on the history of the cemetery and of the Jews of Żory were placed on the fence. Not far away stand the Synagogue in Żory and the Municipal Museum in Żory, which let you learn about the history of the town's Jewish community.

Practical information

• Address: Cmentarna street, Żory.
• This is a place of remembrance and a cemetery. Rules of respect for the place apply. Check access information with the town hall before your visit.