FIZERU GHERLII: Cluj County, Transylvania region

 

International Jewish Cemetery Project - Romania F-J Alternate name: Oerdöngösfüzes in Hungarian. Located at 47°01' 23°59' in Cluj County, Transylvania region, 50 km from Cluj-Napoca, 20 km from Dej, and 6 km from Gherla. The cemetery is located at the back of the courtyard of Mr. Vasile Pascu, Nr.32/B, 3493 Fizeru Gherlii, jud. Cluj, Romania. The current town population is 1,431 with no Jews.

• Local officials: Mayor Ion Doru Sorin Nicolae, Vice-Mayor Istvan Papp, and Secretary Finar Tatar at Primaria Fizeu Gherlii, 3493 Fizesu Gherlii, Jud. Cluj, Romania. Responsible for the cemetery is Dej Jewish community, str. Infrăþirii, nr. 8, 4650 Dej, ph.: 40-64-215179, (president) Farkas Iosif, ph.: 40-64-212.807; and (secretary) Hirsch Edmund, ph.: 40-64-213.925.
• Regional officials: Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, str. Sf. Vineri, nr. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, Ph.: 40-01-6132538 / 6132538, fax: 40-01-3120869, telex: 40-01-10798.
• Interested: Professor Ladislau Gyemant, Director of Dr. Moshe Carmilly Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, str. Universitatii 7-9, cam. 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Stefan Haidu, 3493 Fizeru Gherlii, Judetul Cluj, Romania is the past caretaker. Mircea-Sergiu Moldovan, Ph.D. (Professor and architect), str. Paring, nr. 1, bl. A4, ap. 12, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, ph.: 40-64-161261 and Dej Jewish community, str. Infrăririi, nr. 8, 4650 Dej, ph.: 40-64-215179
• Caretaker with key: Vasile PASCU, nr. 32B, 3493 Fizeru Gherlii, Judetul Cluj, Romania.

Censuses: 1850 - 6 Jews of a total population of 1,203, but 1857 ?no Jews; 1880 - 40 Jews out of 1,292; 1886- 28 Jews out of 1,365; 1891- 36 Jews of 1,502; and 38 Jews in 1930. In May 1944, the Jews were confined to Dej ghetto. On May 28 and June 6-8, all 30 Jews from Fizeru Gherlii were deported to Auschwitz. The Orthodox cemetery was established in the nineteenth century, 3 km. away. Other nearby communities used this cemetery. The rural (agricultural) isolated flat land with no sign or marker is reached by crossing a private property (of Mr. Vasile PASCU). Probably, the old road was incorporated in the present property. Access to the cemetery is open with permission. A continuous fence and a locking gate surround the cemetery. The approximate size of cemetery before World War II was 30 sq.m. There are 3 gravestones in the cemetery, two of which are in the original position and one that is broken. One tombstone is in the garden of Mr. Pascu outside the present cemetery. According oral testimony, possibly another Jew had his grave on his old property. The oldest known gravestone in the cemetery is from the nineteenth century. The limestone rough stones or boulders probably had Hebrew inscriptions but are destroyed. Known mass graves exist.
Dej community must clarify the present status of the land. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania owns the property is used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. The cemetery is rarely visited. The cemetery was possibly vandalized during the World War II but not in the last ten years. Care included annual clearing vegetation and fixing fence and gate in the 1960s and 1970s and annually since "controls" ceased by Dej Jewish community, str. Infrăþirii, nr. 8, 4650 Dej, ph.: 40-64-215179. Current care: The past caretaker has access to the site. The present owner found an unknown tombstone and offered to care for the cemetery himself. Dej Jewish community paid the past caretaker. There are no structures. Weather erosion and vegetation are moderate threats. There is a serious threat by presence of water. The tombstones are leaning. Mircea-Sergiu Moldovan, Ph.D. (Professor and architect), str. Paring, nr. 1, bl. A4, ap. 12, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Ph.: 40-64-161261 completed the survey form on March 15, 1999 after a visit on March 10. An interview was conducted with Vasile Pascu of Fizeru Gherlii.