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WLOCLAWEK Since the Middle Ages W這c豉wek belonged to the bishops from Kujawy. For centuries the city was excluded from Jewish settlement. This situation changed in 1823 when on the basis of edict issued by governor of the Kingdom of Poland, Jews were allowed to settle in some parts of the city. Complete abolition of those limitations took place in 1862. The exact date of establishment of a local Jewish community remains unknown. Certainly it existed already in 1842. In that time there were 791 people of Mosses confession living in W這c豉wek. In 1850 building of the synagogue in 畝bia street that could contain more then 1000 people was finished. The second synagogue was erected in Królewiecka street in 1908 thanks to the foundation of Josef Gold. For many years Josef Karo, an outstanding scientist and author of studies on Jewish subjects, performed a role of rabbi in W這c豉wek. Number of Jews in the city increased rapidly. In 1897 there were 4.248 Jews (while the city had 22907 inhabitants) and in 1938 approximately 12.000 people of Jewish descent lived in W這c豉wek. The Jewish community owned a hospital, asylum for elders and orphans, loan bank “Gmilas Chesed”, Jewish High School (with license of a public school), a library containing 30000 books. There were also different public organizations like “Linas Hacholim” Help for the Sick Association, “Bikur Cholim” Care of the Sick Association, Jewish Touring Association, “Makabi” Jewish Gymnastic and Sport Association. After invasion of the Nazis, some Jewish inhabitants were deported to the General Gubern. The Nazis destroyed also the synagogues. In the city ghetto was established and functioned till 1942. Most of its inhabitants were murdered in Che軛no on Ner river. First Jewish cemetery in W這c豉wek was established in 1830 in present Nowomiejska street. Before it was set up, Jews from W這c豉wek were buried in Brze嗆 Kujawski. In Department for Monuments Documentation of Jewish Historical Institute there is a letter with information on after-war history of that necropolis sent in 1986 by one of former inhabitants of W這c豉wek: “The Jewish cemetery (…) was desecrated and completely destroyed by Nazi invaders. Till the mid of the sixties of the 20th century at the area of the cemetery and in the closest neighbourhood there were scattered pieces of smashed gravestones as well as sandstone and marble slabs with preserved inscriptions in Polish, Hebrew and Yiddish. Those slabs were stolen also by stoneworkers who used them to build new gravestones. Smaller sandstone slabs were smashed by local people to use them as whetstones. Soon everything disappeared and at the area of former cemetery a complex of vocational schools was erected. Today on soil containing human remains teenagers learn, work in workshops and play football”. On the square in front of the school a monument stylized like matzeva was erected. It commemorates victims of Holocaust. Inscription on it says: “On that area the Nazis established ghetto from which in 1942 Polish citizens of Jewish descend were deported to death camps”. Ceremony of unveiling of monument took place on the 15th June 2001. It was organized by the city authorities and Jews coming from W這c豉wek, city inhabitants, representatives of Israeli embassy and members of Board of Committee for Memory of Fights and Martyrdom Protection took part in it. The plate was unveiled by Benjamin Majerczak – member of Jewish community from W這c豉wek and mayor of city Stanis豉w Wawrzonkoski who said: “Jews were pride of W這c豉wek. Before outbreak of the WW II they were attracted to W這c豉wek by possibilities of finding a new job and expand their capital. We greeted ourselves on the same streets and many inhabitants still remember sport success’ of Jews from W這c豉wek”. The only one still existing burial place of Jews in W這c豉wek is a separated quarter at a public cemetery in Chopin alley. The former funeral house was converted into Orthodox church. Text
by K. Bielawski Press here to see Memory Book of W這c豉wek (in Hebrew) |