Alternate names: Miechów [Pol], Miechov, מיעכאוו [Yid], Mekhuv, Мехув [Rus], Mekhev, Myekhov. 50°22' N, 20°02' E. Four places are named 'Miechów' in Poland, but this is 20 miles NNE of Kraków and shares a yizkor book: Sefer yizkor Miechow, Charsznica, Ksiaz, (Tel Aviv, 1971). This town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship 40 km N of Kraków is the capital of Miechów powiat with a 2004 population of 11,852. Miechów acquired city rights in 1290. Some sources indicate Jew lived in Miechowie in 1819. in the year 1767 issued a decree, which forbade Jews to settle in Miechowie (also not previously been allowed to live here). A few years after the construction of Orthodox Church (1893-1895), the brick synagogue was built. The cemetery was established in 1882 with its entry from the current ulica Powstańców. A preburial house existed. Around 1900, two Jewish dentists lived here, Epsztejn Perl and Sura Ruchla Kobylnicka, and a physician named Dr. Stefan Lejman. The owner of the print shop and bookstore was Icek Posluszny; the mill belonged to Label Israel Kupczyk. Many shops were run by Jews. 1931 Census: 154,574 people including 7,271 Jews. The Nazi occupation meant humiliating work including cleaning the streets and the market. By November 23, 1939 by order of Governor-General Frank Jews wore a white arm band with a Mogen David. By April 1940, Jewish goods were inventories and confiscated and slave labor instituted. The ghettobetween the streets and the Market: Krakow, Slovak and Mickiewicz was created. Cramped quarters meant epidemics. Exit and entrance to the ghetto was possible only by special passes and locations under the Jüdische Ordnungspolizei (JOP). In November 1941 Jews were deprived of any means of transport including dorożek and wagons. The Jews gave no resistance.During a transport of Jews from Charsznicy-Miechowa-Chodówkach, the first 24 people were shot together; for the second, seventy were shot. On November 18, 1942, some 500 Jews from the ghetto were taken to Belzec, a person hiding in the ghetto was found by dogs. On November 19, 1942 in Chodówkach about 360 or 380 Jews were shot. November 23, 1942 year to the Jewish cemetery in the German police shot 35 Jews. Jagdkomando, which was organized by Nazi troops to go to a village, into the forest, and find hiding Jews. Miechowski Jagdkomando committed many murders during the war. On March 15, 1943 Gestapo came to Miechowa, where Vincent Baranka was hiding Jews: Pińczowski, Skowron, Sybirski and Wajcman. All died including the entire Baranka family. The synagogue [photo] located at 10 ulica Adama Mickiewicza built in the early 20th century was destroyed by the Nazis and after WWII became municipal property that was completely rebuilt for a popular café. [June 2009]
CEMETERY: Video. The Jews of Miechow were murdered in the forest by the Nazis. One victim, who wounded a Nazi, was set upon by the dogs and torn to piece. A memorial marks the site. monument photo. Miechowie Jewish cemetery was founded in 1882 on a parcel of land between the current ul. Powstaców and ul. Powstaców and ul. Pęckowskiego.The house mortuary [tahara] with a cemetery caretaker apartment was added. During WWII, the Nazis stole the gravestones for road construction. After liberation, the few survivors recovered and moved part of the matzevot at the cemetery. Today, only a fragment of one of those gravestones remains since some probably were stolen for building after WWII. The edge of the cemetery fences mass graves that followedr the liquidation of the ghetto. Germans had locals bury the corpses moved there on horse carts. The memorial reads: "Here lies some 35 Jewish victims murdered by Nazi monsters of 23 Nov. 1942, m. Rachel Strosberg other, the daughter of Lola and Dora z Brzeska Nowego. "Besides, on a stone block of irregular shape, Star of David, the Hebrew acronym of" buried here ", the names of the victims Strosberg and Hebrew letters TNCBH (Let her soul be bound up in crown of eternal life). Finding the cemetery may difficult. Enter from ul. Powstańców 1863, turning at property 56. [June 2009]
US Commission No. POCE000276
Miechow is located in Kielce at 50º22 20º01, 78 km from Kielce. Cemetery location: Powstancow 1863 Str. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 without Jews.
- Town: Burmistrz Miasta Miechow, 32-200 Miechow, ul. Sienkiewicza 25, tel. 3-10-03.
- Regional: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, ul. IX Wiekow Kielc 3, Kielce, tel. 45634.
Dr. Adam Penkalla, deceased, completed survey. The site was not visited; no interviews conducted.