US Commission No. ROCE-0042
The cemetery located in Pecica at Principala Street no. 1032, 2948, judet Arad, 4610 2104, 272.1 miles WNW of Bucharest and 19 km from Arad is a hidden cemetery. Behind houses and doors and through the corn crops is in a kind of park marked by black marble obelisks and protected by the crowns of the trees. Alternate name: Opecska (Hungarian). Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Cionca Arghir Justin, Pecica, block C.P.L., +40-57-468952, 2948, judet Arad
- The Jewish Community of Arad, 10, Tribunul Dobra Street, 2900 Arad, Romania. Tel. +40-57-281310
- The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri street, no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- " Dr. Moshe Carmilly", Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universităţii 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.
- Key holder and caretaker: Sandru Elena, Pecica, Principala Street, 1032, judet Arad, Romania
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 106 and by 1910 census was 111. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial around 1960.
The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all. A fence with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 1 hectare. 100-500 stones are visible. 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. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. The oldest known gravestone dates from 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble and granite, and "other" flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed common gravestones have German?? Inscriptions. No known mass graves.
The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent properties are in village residential setting with houses, gardens, orchards, and pastures. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been clearing vegetation and fixing wall. Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. Vegetation is a moderate threat.
Elisabeta Pecican, Revolution Avenue, no. 35, apt. 31, Arad, 2900 completed the survey on September 12, 2000 using the following documentation:
- Coriolan Suciu, Dicţionar istoric al localităţilor din Transilvania, I-II, Bucharest, 1968
- Marki Sandor, Arad varmegye es Arad szabad kiralyi varos tortenete, Arad, 1895
- The Jewish population by 1880 census, Bucharest, Edit. Staff, 1999.
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994 (in Romanian)
Elisabeta Pecican visited the site on September 9, 2000 and interviewed Sandru Elena, Pecica. [January 2003]