The cemetery is located at Orsova, sector Poiana Stelei, 1453, judet Mehedinti, Romania. 4443 2224, 183.0 miles W of Bucharest and 25 km from Drobeta Turnu Severin. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with 10-100 Jews.
- Local Authority: Mayor Vesa Ion, Town Hall of Orsova, 1453, judet Mehedinti
- The Jewish Community of Drobeta Turnu Severin, Cezar Street no. 6, 1500, Romania, tel. 0040-52-215638
- National religious authority: The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Str., no. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- Interested: "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. - Caretaker with key: Town Hall of Orsova
The Jewish population by census was ten in 1889 registered and one hundred in 1930. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established at end of the 19th century. Last known burial was 1994.
The urban hillside, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all. A masonry wall with a non-locking gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 60 X 53 m. 20-100 stones are visible. 20-100 stones are in original location. 1-20 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 not a problem.
No special sections. The oldest known gravestone dates from 1880. The 19th and 20th century marble and granite flat shaped, smoothed and inscribed, and carved relief-decorated, and double tombstones have inscriptions are in Hebrew, German, Romanian, and Hungarian. No known mass graves. The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are residential. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop.
The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. Maintenance has been cleaning stones and clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities. Within the limits of the cemetery is an empty preburial house. No threats.
Ursutiu Claudia, Pietroasa Street no. 21, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, tel: 0040-64-151073 visited the site and completed the survey on 5 July 2001 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul general al populatiunei Romaniei din decembrie 1899 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from December 1889), Bucuresti,
- Lito-tipografia, L. Motzatzeanu, 1900
- 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
- N. Iorga, Istoria evreilor in terile noastre (The History of the Jews of our Countries), Bucuresti, 1913.
- M. Schwarzfeld, O ochire asupra istoriei evreilor din timpurile cele mai departate pina la anul 1850, (A look upon the Jewish History from the beginning until 1850), Bucuresti, 1887
- C. Iancu, Evreii din Romania 1866-1919 (The Jews from Romania), Bucuresti 1996
- L. Gyemant, L. Benjamin, Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania, (Sources and Testimonies about the Jews from Romania) vol. III/1-2, Bucuresti, 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Floarea Silvia, Calea Moldovei, no. 1, 05. 07. 2001, Orsova on 5 July 2001. [January 2003]