Alternate names: Grodzisk Wielkopolski [Pol], Grätz [Ger], Graetz, Grodzisk. 52°14' N, 16°22' E, 28 miles WSW of Poznań (Posen). 1875 Jewish population: 793. Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), II, pp. 839-840: "Grodzisk". Grätz) is a town in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie). The first Jews settled by the beginning of the 16th century since a document from 1505 mention the Jew Abraham of Grodzisk In Yiddish and Hebrew. The town is known as גרידץ (Gritz or Gritza). At Młyniewo, a nearby village, a transit camp existed to transport initially Jews and later Poles and POWs to concentration camps. After WWII, beer production declined and was discontinued in 1993. In 1999, the town again became the seat of a Powiat.town website. Mosse family, physician who donated the hospital and old age home and his descendants. [May 2009]
OLD CEMETERY: Near the Bernardine monastery in the vicinity of today's Bukowska street, see a map of the 1795 for the former location. In 1663 Grodzisk Wielkopolski heir, Jan Leopold Opaleński, ordered the closure of the Jewish cemetery and organization of the new cemetery. In a privilege was written: "I let the former Jewish cemetery fence to fence and ... allowing them only to those places, which is more than a dozen [behavior próżnych?] to be registered, and once these bans are not there more hide. When I let the contract to this place, two candidates are Jews" Jews do not observe the ban on the use of the old cemetery and continued to try to bury their dead there as seen in a 1676 record made by Jan Karol Żurowej Daniełłowicz. A year later, the final prohibition of the use of the old cemetery was issed by the Court Sejm in Piotrków. [May 2009]
NEW CEMETERY: Founded in the 17th century between the current ul. Żwirki i Wigury, ul. Żwirki, Wigury, and UL. Rządową. the area was expanded in 1850. Over the centuries, hundreds of people were buried here including many distinguished personalities from outsider the local Jewish community including Rabbi Guttmacher, an outstanding authority in rabbinical responsa and one of the pioneers for colonization of Palestinine. E. Guttmacher died on 21 October 1875 and his tomb became a focus for pilgrimages devout Jews. Buried in the cemetery also is Mosse, Marcus Moses, a local physician and commander defending the city in 1848. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cemetery was surrounded by walls; and the gate was built for the brick mortuary consisting a main hall and two "przybudówek", crowned with domes of the two Mogen David at the top. [See archive photo] In the rear of the cemetery was a small building, purpose unknown. In 1935, with the drastic decrease in the Jewish population, the city took over two-thirds of the surface of the cemetery for a park. Human remains were transferred to the remainder of the cemetery. During WWII, the Nazis utterly devastated the cemetery, taking gravestones for road works, including paving of a section of ul. Podgórnej; the German communal courtyard at ul. Przykop and a rampart. The cemetery became a field for crops. After liberation, a sports building for the schools was built. Even in 2001, during reconstruction of the sports hall, a number of skeletons were found. Earth mixed with bones after the company tried to sell for 40 PLN. In the 1990s, at various points of the city dozens of matzevo were found. In 1996, activists of the Friends of Former Grodziska Jews unvieled a small monument at the cemetery on ul. Żwirki Wigury. The form with crushed walls has the inscription: "At this place, since the mid-17th century to 1935 was a Jewish cemetery." photos [May 2009]
US Commission No. POCE000466
Alternate name: Gratz in German. Town is in region Poznowskie at 52º15 16º22, 50km from Poznania. The cemetery is located on ul. Zwiski i Wiqury/3 Maja. Present population is 5,000-25,000, with no Jews.
- Town: Urzad Miasta i Gminy, ul. Stary Rynek 1 tel. 4-5241.
- Regional: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, 61-716 [or 776, hard to read], POZNAN, ul. Kosciuszki 93, tel. 696464.
The earliest known Jewish community was 18th century. 1921 Jewish population (census) was 61. The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery was established approximately in the 18th century. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Access, directly off a public road, is open to all. No stones remain. The municipality owns the Conservative cemetery property now used for school area within the limits of the cemetery. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II. There has been no maintenance. Security (uncontrolled access) is a very serious threat.
Pniewski Stawoinir, Poznan, ul. Prybysweco Siego 41/4 completed survey in August 1991 after a visit in 1991. Documenation: Heppner, A., and Herzberg, J., Aus Vergangenheit und Gegen. Die Juden und die judischen gemeinden in den Posener Landen, 1905-79, with photos.