Obj. ID: 51514
Jewish Funerary Art  Jewish cemetery in Krośniewice, Poland

According to ESJF European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, the Jewish cemetery in Krośniewice is located in the western part of the town, approximately 130 meters north of Poznańska Street with an acreage of approximately 0.77 hectares. The exact date of its founding is unknown; most likely it was established in the first half of the 19th century. According to local documentation, the cemetery existed in 1864.

During World War II, the cemetery was largely destroyed. Tombstones were used to pave roads and sidewalks. On September 25, 1965, the Local Presidium of the National Council in Krośniewice signed a by-law commencing the closure of the cemetery. In 1999, thanks to the efforts of an Abraham Levy from Israel, the cemetery was maintained, and a small lapidary was built, housing several dozen tombstone fragments.

In 2014, thanks to the efforts of Sol Rosenkranz who lived in Krośniewice before the war, and the help of the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage and the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, the cemetery was fenced and renovated. A memorial was built and unveiled at a ceremony on August 21, 2014. In 2015, an access road was built.

In 2017, on the 75th anniversary of the killing of the Jews from Krośniewice, the Jerzy Dunin-Borkowski Museum in Krośniewice together with the local government and youth activists cleaned the cemetery. At the start of August 2017, workers renovating nearby streets found fragments of two tombstones. The fragments were relocated to the cemetery.

There is a concrete wall about 1.7 m high and a metal gate. There are 26 gravestomes. There is a lapidarium made of survived fragments of tombstones.