The Old Jewish Cemetery ( pl, Stary Cmentarz Żydowski we Wrocławiu) is a historic necropolis-museum situated on 37/39 Ślężna Street, in the southern part of

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

(formerly Breslau),

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Opened in 1856, the cemetery's eclectic layout features many architectural forms and styles on a monumental scale. The current shape of the cemetery evolved mostly throughout the 19th century, during the times of the German Empire. The first burial took place in what was then the village of Gabitz (Gajowice), just outside city limits. The cemetery area was then expanded twice. In 1943, the burial ceremonies were abandoned and the necropolis was leased for five years to a gardening center. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the cemetery became a fierce battleground, the marks of which are still visible on many tombstones. It was inscribed into the register of city monuments in 1975.

Architecture

Most of the cemetery objects were built in second half of the 19th century. They imitate various architectural styles including

Ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

, the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, Baroque. Great example of Ancient architecture are numerous columns located throughout the cemetery that are symbols of life and eternity. Columns imitating broken trees reflect the tragedy of fragile life and death. Tombstones are signed by bilingual inscriptions, most commonly

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. Most common symbols of Jewish culture which can be seen on tombstones are: * hands – on the tombstones of descendants of Aaron * oriental tree – ancient symbol of messianic hope * broken rose – motif of death * helmet – army officer symbol * palms – symbols of national sacrifice of Jews

Notable people buried at the cemetery

* Isidor and Neander Alexander – banking family *

Leopold Auerbach Leopold Auerbach (27 April 1828 – 30 September 1897) was a German anatomist and neuropathologist born in Breslau. Education and career Auerbach studied medicine at the Universities of Breslau, Berlin and the Leipzig. He became a physician in ...

– professor in biology and history at the University of Breslau (now

University of Wrocław , ''Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau'' (before 1945) , free_label = Specialty programs , free = , colors = Blue , website uni.wroc.pl The University of Wrocław ( pl, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, U ...

) * Julius Cohn – professor of botanics *

Heinrich Graetz Heinrich Graetz (; 31 October 1817 – 7 September 1891) was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective. Born Tzvi Hirsch Graetz to a butcher family in Xions (now Książ Wielko ...

– professor of history at Wrocław University * Friederike Kempner – writer * Ferdinand Lassalle – thinker, labor leader, and social activist who stayed in close contact with

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
'' Ernst Steinitz Ernst Steinitz (13 June 1871 – 29 September 1928) was a German mathematician. Biography Steinitz was born in Laurahütte (Siemianowice Śląskie), Silesia, Germany (now in Poland), the son of Sigismund Steinitz, a Jewish coal merchant, and ...

– mathematician who studied and taught at the University of Breslau (now

)

Antisemitic incident

On July 30, 2010, the cemetery was desecrated with swastikas drawings and vulgar graffiti. In addition, some of the gravestones were broken.

Picture gallery

File:Helmet motif.jpg, Helmet motif File:Leopold Auerbach tombstone.jpg, Leopold Aucherbach tombstone File:Oriental tree symbol.jpg, Oriental tree symbol File:Tombstone destroyed during WWII.jpg, Tombstone destroyed during World War II File:598683 Wrocław cm. Grob. żydów sefardyskich w style mauretańskim (3).JPG, Exotic interior of a mausoleum File:Broken tree.jpg, Broken tree motif

References

21st-century attacks on synagogues and Jewish communal organizations Antisemitism in Poland Buildings and structures in Wrocław Cemetery vandalism and desecration Wroclaw Jews and Judaism in Wrocław {{authority control