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Elsewhere in Poland, Jewish cemeteries were usually destroyed by the Nazis and the stones used for road-building material. Warsaw’s cemetery was fortunate to avoid such wholesale destruction, possibly because Warsaw already had well-paved thoroughfares. Nonetheless, what the Nazis left has suffered from half a century of neglect. What remains is in need of extensive repair and restoration, but is still a fascinating and poignant place, and well worth a visit.
Established in 1806 and occupying some 33 hectares, the cemetery contains anything between 100,000 to 250,000 graves and tombs. It is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe and one of the few to be still in use today. Although the Nazis allowed the cemetery to survive, they did destroy all documentary records of Warsaw’s Jews. As a result, the cemetery is considered to be the last remaining archive. Since 1996 the Friends of the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw have been working to raise money towards to cemetery’s upkeep and create an index of all those buried there.
To visit the cemetery, men must cover their heads. The entrance is through a small gateway on Okopowa Street, opposite the end of Anielewicza Street. | | | |
 | | "I was born in Warsaw in 1939. I survived and visited Warsaw Cemeterytwo years ago but could not find my grandparents graves. Mr. Shpilman was very helpful and suggested I keep in touch because they are working on the restoration of the cemetery and are constantly finding graves previously buried or broken. I went into the virtual Warsaw Jewish Cemetery Link and found my great grandmother's grave as well as great grandfather's grave. I am still hoping to find my grandparents graves. At this present time the link is frozen due to change of directors at the cemetary. I would be grateful to be advised when I can open it up again for my search. " | Eva Lazar
Israel
Dec.29.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "i am the only grand grand daughter to rozner meir barried in jewish cemetery in warsaw bevore ww2.all members of rozner rozenbaum faimly , warsae jews perished in treblinka beside my mom who died 8 years ago.her name was fela rozenbaum 1919- 2001. european jewish lot." | gila berger israel
Israel
Nov.05.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I just recently found the grave of my great-grandmother, Jenta Pinkwasser Guzik, there, thanks to the photographic survey of Emile Karafiol. http://cemetery.jewish.org.pl/id_22276/info/_Jenta_Guzik.html" | Roma Baran
United States
Jan.13.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "I was apalled by the conditions at this historic cemetery. Please have Friends of the Jewish Cemetery contact me so we can work together on obtaining necessary funding to make long overdue repairs to grave sites." | Stuart D. Soffer
United States
Oct.06.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Ma grand-mère: Sara GRADSTEIN ou GRADCHTEIN serait née à VARSOVIE dans les années 1870 et se serait mariée à VARSOVIE en 1890 avec Aaron WEINRACH. J'ai perdu leur traces à Paris en 1905 où elle a accouchée de mon père et l'a confié aux services de l'aide à l'enfance pour partir à la recherche de son mari." | GRADSTEIN
France
Jul.23.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Does anyone know if David Baddiel visited and filmed in this Cemetry as it did not look like the one we visited last year. Is there another Jewish Cemetry perhaps over the river? Any info would be appreciated." | Pat Cravitz (nee Tuchman)
United States
Dec.20.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "hello i am glad they are trying to do the records that were destroyed. have they managed any from the 1900 and before i would be very interested as my grandfather and his family lived in warsaw but came to england in the beginning of the 1900. i am not certain that my great grandfathers father came with their name was steingold, and jewish if you have any info i would be pleased to have it. i am hoping to find births marriages and deaths but i dont know where to go . kind regards linda." | linda gillespie
United Kingdom
Nov.21.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "just recently my grandfather grave was found 92 years after he died.my thanks to the manager of the Jewish cemetery Mr. Szpilman!" | rafael Ganani
Israel
Jul.08.2007
rates this page 3/5 |
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