Alternate names: Przerośl [Pol], Psherosl', Пшеросль [Rus], Psherosla, פשרוסל [Yid], Preraslia, Przerośl Osada. 54°15' N, 22°39' E, In NE Poland, 15 miles NW of Suwałki. 1900 Jewish cemetery: 690 (in 1857), 185 (in 1921). Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IX, p. 176: "Przerośl" #1. A rural administrative district in Suwałki County, Podlaskie Voivodeship in NE Poland with its seat is the village of Przerośl, 27 km (17 mi) NW of Suwałki and 131 km (81 mi) N of the regional capital Białystok. The gmina 2006 total population is 3,095. Jews began to settle in the 16th century, but soon were expelled. Only in 1709-710 did significant Jewish settlement begin due to the town's desire to recover economically after the Plague. In 1736, Vilnius Bishop M. Zienkiewicz permitted construction of the synagogue and Jewish cemetery. From 205 Jews in 1799 to 443 in the 1820s, Jewish presence grew. In 1867, 598 Jews worked in trade and crafts. Abraham Peltyna, a Jewish carpenter, built the local church. Jews also held 6 breweries, distilleries, and 16 inns. The town's proximity to the village meant smuggling, mainly of alcohol, meat, meat products and sugar. Around 1900, the Jewish population declined due to immigration and the poor economic conditions caused by World War I. In 1927, 180 Jews remained. In September 1939, Soviet troops occupied before Germany. The Nazis deported the Jewish population to Siedlec and Łukowa camp in Treblinka. [June 2009]
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CEMETERY: Established in 1736 in the southeastern part of the city on the road to Zusienka., initially a wooden fence surrounding the 0.6 hectare cemetery, replaced in 1839 with a stone wall. Przerosl Jewish Cemetery covered the same 1.5-acre for nearly 300 years managed to escape the destruction wrought by the Nazis on most of Poland's Jewish cemeteries, but without maintenance or attention for sixty years, vegetation and local thieves accomplished destruction.The cemetery desecrated during WWII was destroyed after the war when locals stole the gravestones for foundations of buildings. More than twenty granite gravestones remain along with remains of the destroyed cemetery wall. The last burial took place in 1939. Cemetery restoration project. To assist with restoration, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. photos. [June 2009]photos and information about the cemetery. [August 2005]
US Commission No. AS 176
Przerosl is in region Suwalskie, 54º14N 22º39E, 30 km from Suwalki. The cemetery is at S edge of village, by road to Zusno. Present population is under 1000 with no Jews.
- Town: Eleonara Bukowska-wojt, Urzad Gminy w Przerosli, 16-247 Przerosl, ul. Rynek 2, tel. 19. Stanislaw Tumidajewicz-Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow 16-400 Suwalki, ul. Kosciuszki 7, tel. 663741.
- Interested: Wojewodzkie Archiwum Panstwowe w Suwalkach, ul. Kosciuszki 69, tel. 662167.
The earliest known Jewish community was second half of the 18th century, the cemetery in late 18th c. 1927 Jewish population census was 180. Landmark: Nr rej.zabytkow regionsuwalskiego-675-, decyzja Kl.WKZ 534/675/d/89 z 26 August 1989. The isolated rural flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning off the public road to Zusno, access is open to all with a broken masonry wall. The cemetery before WWII and now is 0.6ha. 20-100 sandstone or granite rough or finely smoothed and inscribed in Hebrew stones, 1 to 20 in original locations and less than 25% toppled or broken, date from the 20th century. No known mass graves. The municipality owns the site used only as a Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are the road, agriculture and housing. Private individuals visit rarely. The site was vandalized during World War II. No current care. Vegetation is a moderate threat.
dr. Janusz Mackiewicz, 16-400 Suwalki ul.1 Maja 27a/47, tel. d.663756, tel. sl.663741, 24 completed survey September 1994.
[UPDATE] The Project to Restore the Przerosl Jewish Cemetery [August 2017]