Alternate/former town names: Turterebes (Hung.) and Turterbesch (Ger.) Located in Satu-Mare County at 47°56' N, 23°05' E about 133 km. NNW of Cluj.
The suburban, flat land, separate but among housing sites, with Jewish symbols on the gate is reached crossing other property. A continuous fence surrounds the cemetery. Approximately 90 stones exist with less than 25% toppled or broken. Vegetation overgrowth is seasonal. The flat shaped granite and limestone tombstones have inscriptions in Hebrew or Yiddish. Cemetery now used for Jewish cemetery purposes and gathering snails for food. Adjacent properties are residential. Diane Goldman, 4977 Battery Lane, Bethesda MD 20814 ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) visited the site on 7 August 1998. She completed the survey on 1 March 1999.
US Commission No. ROCE-0594
Cemetery is located in Turulung, 3926, judet Satu Mare, 4756 2305, 281.4 miles NNW of Bucharest and 24 km from Satu Mare. Alternate name: Turterebes (Hungarian); Turterebesch (German). Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Kuksani Sandor, Town Hall of Turulung, judet Satu Mare
- Regional: Federatia Comunitatilor Evreiesti din Romania, Strada SF. Vineri 9-11, Sector 3, Bucuresti, Romania. [Jewish Federation].
- Interested: Comunitatea Evreilor din Satu Mare, Str. Decebal Nr. 4, Satu Mare, (telephone: 74 37 83). (The Jewish Community of Satu Mare, Decebal Street no. 4A, 3900 Satu Mare, Romania, tel. 0040-61-713703)
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Street no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Street no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi Street, no. 15, 6400- Iasi Judet Iasi, Moldavia , Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Key holder and caretaker: Simpf Paul, Turulung, no. 685
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 278, by 1900 census was 237, and in 1930 was 206/ In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Satu Mare and on May 19, 22, 26, 29, 30, 31, and June 1 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox, Hasidic cemetery was established in second half of the 19th century with last known burial in inter-war period.
The rural/agricultural flat land, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker.
Reached via private property, access is open with permission. A fence with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre-WWII size is unknown. Approximate post-WWII size is 72 x 22 m. 100-500 stones are visible. 20-100 stones are not in original location. Less than 25% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections.
The oldest known gravestone dates from second half of the 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and concrete flat shaped, smoothed and inscribed, and carved relief-decorated, and double tombstones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves.
The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery and orchard. Adjacent properties are residential. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been cleaning stones and clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by unpaid individuals. No structures.
Claudia Ursutiu, Pietroasa Street no. 21, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, tel: 0040-64-151073 visited the site and completed the survey on 30 June 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1880. Transilvania(1880 Transylvania Jewish Population Census.) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj 1997.
- Recensamantul din 1900. (1900 Transylvania Jewish Population Census) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj, 1999
- Recensamintul general al popula]iei din 29 decembrie 1930, ( The General Census of the population from december 29, 1930), vol. II, Bucuresti 1938
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
- Recensamantul general al populatiei Romaniei din 29 decembrie 1930, vol.
II (The General Census of the Population of Romania from 29 December 1930,
vol. II), Bucuresti, 1938 - Recensamintul general al populatiei din Romania din 7 ianuarie 1992 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from January 7, 1992), vol. I, Bucuresti, 1994
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The Historical Dictionary of Localities in Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
Otto Mitelstrass, Historisch-Landeskundlicher Atlas von Siebenburgen, Ortsnamenbuch, Heidelberg, 1992 - Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
- Zsido Lexicon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929.
- Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania (Sources and Testimonies on the Jews in Romania), vol. III/1-2, coord. L. Gyemant, L. Benjamin, Bucuresti, Ed. Hasefer, 1999
- Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Evreii din Transilvania in epoca emanciparii, 1790-1867 (The Jews of Transylvania in the Age of Emancipation 1790-1867), Bucuresti, ed, Enciclopedica, 2000
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Simpf Paul, Turulung. [January 2003]
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [July 2018]