Alternate names: Kluczbork [Pol], Kreuzburg [Ger], Kluczborek, Kluozborek, Klauczbork. 50°59' N, 18°13' E in Upper Silesia, 52 miles E of Wrocław (Breslau), 41 miles WNW of Częstochowa, 25 miles NNE of Opole (Oppeln). 1900 Jewish population: 406 (1869), 174 (1926). Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IV, p. 164: "Kluczborek". A town in SW Poland with 26,670 inhabitants in 2003 in Opole Voivodeship, capital of Kluczbork County, and an important railroad junction. The major rail line In Kluczbork from Katowice splits into two directions -- W to Wroclaw and N to Poznan. [June 2009]
CEMETERY: The Jewish cemetery in Krasków-Kolonia was established in 1765 as a burial place for Jews from nearby Kluczbork. Situated among fields, several dozen of gravestones with flared inscription areas have been preserved. Remains of the graveyard wall and gate survived. Going from Opole, turn left toward Krasków at the bounds of Kluczbork by the railroad. At the entrance to the village, a small signpost for the cyclists shows the way to the cemetery. A dirt track leads to the cemetery. Map. [June 2009]
US Commission No. POCE000520
Alternate name: Kreuzburg in German. Kluczbork is in Opolskie at 50°58 18°13, 99 km to Wroclaw. Cemetery location: Kraskow-Kolonia. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Urzad Miasta i Gminy, ul. Swierczewskiega 1, tel. 1481.
- Regional: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow mgr. J. Prusiewicz, 45-082 Opole ul. Piastowska 14.
Jewish population before WWII was 150. Jewish cemetery was established in 1811 with last Progressive/Reform burial in 1923. The isolated rural (agricultural) crown of a hill has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. A broken masonry wall with no gate surrounds. The size of the cemetery before WWII and now is 0.41 hectares. 20-100 gravestones, 50-75% toppled or broken, date from 27 Oct 1811. The sandstone flat stones with carved relief decoration and 1 sculpted monument, some with traces of painting on their surfaces have Hebrew and German inscriptions. No mass graves. Municipality owns site used as a Jewish cemetery only. Properties adjacent are agricultural. Private visitors visit rarely. The cemetery was vandalized occasionally. No maintenance or structures. Security and vandalism are moderate threats.
Marcin Wodzinski, ul. Jednosci Narodowej 187/13, Wroclaw, tel. 21-09-08 completed survey and visited site 13-14 Mar 1992.