ALTERNATE NAMES: BACĂU [ROM], BAKOU [YID], BARCHAU [GER], BÁKÓ [HUN], BAKÓW [POL], BACOVIA [LAT]. 46°34' N, 26°54' E, In central Moldavia, 53 miles SW of Iaşi (Yash). Jewish population: 7,924 in 1896
- Kehilat Bacau; historiyah yehudit mefoeret
(Tel Aviv, 1990) - Obştea evreiască din Bacǎu
(Bucureşti, 1995)
JewishGen Romania SIG
- Photos [January 2016]
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Romania, Vol. 1 (1969), p. 10: "Bacau"
- Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), pp. 66-67: "Bacau".
- Ruth Gruber. Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to East-Central Europe. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1992. P. 201; 210-211
President of Jewish Community, Mitica Cojocaru, and Miss Caciularu have the community death register entitled Comunitatae Evreilor Bacau Repertoar Pentru Decese that is alphabetical by surname, covering the years 1871-1961. Each page has columns for year of death, surname, given name, group number in the cemetery, row and grave number, and sometimes age. There is a non-Jewish caretaker at the cemetery. Paul Pascal has a layout of the cemetery. Source: Paul Pascal
http://www.rotravel.com/counties/bacau/map.htm is county map. [December 2000]
Geni Jewish Communities of Romania [June 2014]
CEMETERIES:
BACĂU (I): (Bacău judet) US Commission No. _
The cemetery is located at str. Ghioceilor 15, Bacău judet, Moldavia region at 46°34' 26°57', 55 km. from Piatra Neamt. Present town population is over 100,000 with 5,000-25,000 Jews.
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- Local Authority: Mayor Gheorghe Sechelariu, Bacău, str. Marasesti no. 6. Phone: 034/181504 or 135079.
- Religious Authority: The Jewish Community of Bacău, str. Alexandru cel Bun 16
- Regional Authority: The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri str., no. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- Interested: "A.D.Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi str., no. 15, 6400- Iasi (Iasi judet), Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Caretaker with key: Chiriac Daniel, str. Alexei Tolstoi no. 16, Bacău, Bacău judet.
- The 1772-1774 Census registered 5 Jewish families, the 1820 Census registered 108 families. The 1852 Census registered 504 Jewish inhabitants. The 1930 Census registered 9424 Jewish inhabitants. The first mentions about Jewish inhabitants are from the beginning of the 18th century. The Register of Chevra Kadisha begins with the year 1774. The first leader of the Community is mentioned in 1794. The community was officially recognized in 1857. In 1864, there were 14 synagogues, and in 1939, 25. In 1941, the Jews were deported to Transnistria. Prominent residents include rabbis: Ithac Botosaner 1803-1858; Alter Ioines ( 1858-1873); Alter Lobel (1873-1891); Betalel Tvi Safran (1905-1929); Mose Blanc (1902-1944); Chief-rabbi Alexandru Safran; I. M. Marilus (1950-1961). The Jewish cemetery was established at the end of the 17th century. The last known Jewish burial in this Orthodox cemetery was in the 20th century. Faraoani (Bacău judet) and Hemeius (Bacău judet) used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated, flat, urban cemetery location has no sign or marker. Reached by crossing public property, a continuous masonry wall and a gate that locks surround the site.
- The pre- and post-WWII size of the site is 120 m X 70 m. 100-500 gravestones are visible in the cemetery with 20-100 not in original location. Less than 25% are toppled or broken. Vegetation and water drainage are not problems.
- The granite, limestone, sandstone, and other material tombstones date from the 18th century. Some of the rough stones or boulders, flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, and flat stones with carved relief decoration have portraits on stones and/or Hebrew inscriptions. The national Jewish community owns the property. Adjacent properties are recreational and an elder care facility. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose a smaller area due to new roads, a housing development, and a public park.
- The cemetery was vandalized prior to WWII, but not in the last ten years. Care includes annual clearing of vegetation and repair of fence and gate. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities by an unpaid caretaker. No structures. Weather erosion, pollution, vegetation, vandalism, and incompatible nearby development are moderate threats.
- Lucian Nastasa, Clinicilor str., no. 19, Cluj, Romania, tel. 064/190107. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. completed the survey on July 20, 2000 using the following documentation:
- E.Schwarzfeld, Din istoria evreilor: împopularea, reîmpopularea si întemeierea tîrgurilor si tîrgusoarelor în Moldova, Bucuresti, 1894.
- N.Sutu, Notiti statistice asupra Moldaviei, Iasi, 1852.
- George I.Lahovari, Marele dictionar geografic al Romaniei, 5 vol., Bucuresti, Edit.Socec, 1899.
- I.M.Dinescu, Fiii neamului de la 1859 la 1915. Statistica sociala pe întelesul tuturora, Iasi, Institutul de Arte Grafice N.V.Stefaniu, 1920.
- Gh.Ungureanu, Catagrafia locuitorilor Moldovei din anul 1820, în "Revista de statistica", no. 7/1967.
- Leonida Colescu, Analiza rezultatelor recensamîntului general al populatiei Romaniei de la 1899, cu o prefată de Sabin Manuila, Bucuresti, Institutul de statistica, 1944.
- Pinkas Hakehillot, Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities Romania, I-II, Jerusalem, 1980.
- D.Ivanescu, Populatia evreiască din orasele si tîrgurile Moldovei între 1774-1832 , în "Studia et acta historiae iudaeorum Romaniae", II, Bucuresti, Edit.Hasefer, 1997, p. 59-65.
- I. Kara, Obstea evreiasca din Bacău, Bucharest, 1995
- He visited on July 18, 2000 and interviewed Chiriac Daniel, str. Alexei Tolstoi no. 16, Bacău. July 18, 2000. [June 2002]
BACĂU (II): (Bacău judet) US Commission No. _
The cemetery is located at str. Alexei Tolstoi no. 16, Bacău, Bacău judet, Moldavia region at 46°34' 26°57', 55 km. from Piatra Neamt.
See BACĂU I for government and town history information.
- Caretaker with key: Chiriac Daniel, str. Alexei Tolstoi no. 16, Bacău
This unlandmarked Orthodox Jewish century was established at the end of the 19th century. The last known Jewish burial in cemetery was in June 2000. Livezi (Bacău judet); Faraoani (Bacău judet); Letea Veche (Bacău); and Buhusi (Bacău judet) used this cemetery, 1 km. from the Bacau congregation.
The urban, flat cemetery location is separate, but near other cemeteries. A plaque in Romanian and Jewish symbols on the gate or wall mark the site. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission. A continuous masonry wall and a gate that locks surround the cemetery.
200 m X 150 m is the pre- and post-WWII size of the property. About 20,000 tombstones are visible in the cemetery in original location. More than 75% are toppled or broken. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a seasonal problem, preventing access. Water drainage is not a problem.
The cemetery has special sections for men, unmarried men, and children. Tombstones date from 1917. The marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone are flat shaped stones. finely smoothed and inscribed stones. flat stones with carved relief decoration, double tombstones, sculpted tombstones, and multistone monuments. The cemetery has tombstones with traces of painting on their surfaces, with iron decorations or lettering, with other metallic elements, portraits on stones, and/or metal fences around graves.
Inscriptions on tombstones are in Hebrew, Romanian, Yiddish, and German. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims and Jewish soldiers.
The national Jewish community owns the property used only for Jewish cemetery purposes. Adjacent properties are Greek-Orthodox and Catholic cemeteries and commercial or industrial property. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose the same area. Frequently, organized individual tours, private visitors (Jewish or non-Jewish), and local residents visit. Care of the never vandalized cemetery includes re-erection of stones, patching of broken stones, cleaning of stones, clearing of vegetation- every year, and fixing of fence. Jewish individuals within the country, Jewish individuals abroad, Jewish groups within country, and Jewish groups abroad were responsible for restoration done in 1960-1970 and every year after controls and in June 2000. Jewish Congregation of Bacău pays for a regular caretaker.
Within the cemetery are a pre-burial house and other structures. Within the preburial house are a tahara, catafalque, and wall inscriptions. Pollution is a moderate threat. Weather erosion and vegetation are slight threats.
Lucian Nastasa, Clinicilor str., no. 19, Cluj, Romania, tel. 064/190107. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. completed the survey on July 20, 2000 using the following documentation:
- E.Schwarzfeld, Din istoria evreilor: împopularea, reîmpopularea si întemeierea tîrgurilor si tîrgusoarelor în Moldova, Bucuresti, 1894.
- N.Sutu, Notiti statistice asupra Moldaviei, Iasi, 1852.
- George I.Lahovari, Marele dictionar geografic al Romaniei, 5 vol., Bucuresti, Edit.Socec, 1899.
- I.M.Dinescu, Fiii neamului de la 1859 la 1915. Statistica sociala pe întelesul tuturora, Iasi, Institutul de Arte Grafice N.V.Stefaniu, 1920.
- Gh.Ungureanu, Catagrafia locuitorilor Moldovei din anul 1820, în "Revista de statistica", no. 7/1967.
- Leonida Colescu, Analiza rezultatelor recensamîntului general al populatiei Romaniei de la 1899, cu o prefată de Sabin Manuila, Bucuresti, Institutul de statistica, 1944.
- Pinkas Hakehillot, Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities Romania, I-II, Jerusalem, 1980.
- D.Ivanescu, Populatia evreiască din orasele si tîrgurile Moldovei între 1774-1832 , în "Studia et acta historiae iudaeorum Romaniae", II, Bucuresti, Edit.Hasefer, 1997, p. 59-65.
- I. Kara, Obstea evreiasca din Bacău, Bucharest, 1995