Location is on Str. Garii (the main road) near the corner of Str. Prunlui, not on Prunului itself. Cemetery keys are held with Mr. Petru Bika at Str. Prunului 3. Phone number is 077 172 8343 (international +40 77 172 8343). A refined man who refused to accept any money for opening the gate and waiting while I was there. His complaint was about the gypsies who stole the brass handles off the door. This cemetery is small and kept in good condition. The grass has been cut and the fence is in tact. It has fruit trees and other agriculture being used on part of the land that has no tombstones. Chisineu Cris was a regional town and had a relatively large community and was the burial place for smaller surrounding communities. The earliest graves I found there were from the late 1880s until the 1970s. There is no inventory of any other cemetery in the town but this is very unlikely. There must have been earlier burials but they have seemingly disappeared. My guess is that perhaps the cemetery was a lot larger at one point and was built over when the surrounding area was developed during communist times. Either that or there was another location elsewhere in town. Michael Perl visited in October 2019.
REPORT: The cemetery is located at Chisineu Cris, Prunului Str., nr.6, 2975, judet Arad, 4632 2131, 265.0 miles NW of Bucharest and 42 km from Arad. Alternate names: Kisjeno (Hungarian), CHISINAU-CRIS (Romanian.). Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Burdan Gheorghe, Chisineu Cris, Infratirii Str., Garsoniere 4, phone: +40-57-520098 judet Arad
- The Jewish Community of Arad, 10, Tribunul Dobra Str., 2900 Arad, Romania. Tel. +40-57-281310
- The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str., no 9-11, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Str., 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: Mocanu Irina, Prunului Str., no. 5, Chisineu Cris, phone: +40-57-520650, Romania
The Jewish population by 1880 census was 92 and by 1910 census was 213. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial was around 1970. The cemetery is well preserved, noticeably even from outside. The beautiful, impressive monuments include a special sculpted monument dedicated to Jewish General Mann Andor.
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 60 m x 30 m. 20-100 stones are visible, all gravestones 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 a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections.
The oldest known gravestone dates from 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble, granite, and sandstone flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed, sculpted monuments, metallic elements other than bronze or iron gravestones have Hebrew, Hungarian, and Romanian inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for 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. Current care is regular caretaker. Within the limits of the cemetery is a preburial house and house of the caretaker structures.
Assistant Professor Alexandru Pecican, Almasului Str., Bl. R1, apt. 14, 3400 Cluj-Napoca completed the survey on September 9, 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
- 1880 census, Bucharest, Edit. Staff, 1999.
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994 (in Romanian)
He visited the site September 9, 2000 and interviewed Mocanu Irina, Chisineu Cris. [January 2003]