US Commission No. ROCE-02o5
United States Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 1040, Washington D.C. 20005
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RACOSU DE JOS: (judet Brasov)
Alternate Romanian names: Racosul de Jos and Alsorakos in Hungarian. The cemetery Is located at Racosul de Jos, Bisericii Street no. 440, 3018, judet Brasov, 4602 2524, 115.6 miles NNW of Bucharest. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Gaspar Tamas, Town Hall of Racosul de Jos, 3018, judet Brasov
- The Jewish Community of Brasov, Poarta Scheii Street no. 27, Romania, tel: 068/143532, Brasov, 2200, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Str.,
no. 9-11, sect. 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.
- Key holder: Szabo Janos, Bisericii Street no. 440, Racosul de Jos.
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 41, fourteen in 1900, and twelve in 1930. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Tirgu Mures and on May 27, 30 and June 8 were deported to concentration camps. The unlandmarked Orthodox and Neolog The cemetery was established at end of the 19th century. Last known burial in inter-war period.
The hill and hillside, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached via private property, access is open with permission. A broken masonry wall with a no gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 12 X 12 m. 1-20 stones are visible.
No stones are in original location. More than 75% 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.
The oldest known gravestone dates from end of The 19th century. The 19th and 20th century concrete and andesine memorial markers are flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed and multi-stone monuments common gravestones. Have Hebrew and Hungarian inscriptions. No known mass graves.
The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are residential. The cemetery was not vandalized in the last ten years. Maintenance has been clearing vegetation Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. Weather erosion is a moderate threat.
Claudia Ursutiu, Pietroasa Str. no. 21, 3400 Cluj Napoca, Romania, tel. 0040-64-151073
visited the site and completed the survey on 12 April 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1880. Transilvania (1880 Transylvania Jewish Population Census.) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Bucharest 1997.
- Recensamantul din 1900. (1900 Transylvania Jewish Population Census) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj, 1999
- Recensamantul general al populatiei din 29 decembrie 1930 (The General
Census of the Population from December 29, 1930), vol. II, Bucuresti 1938
Recensamintul general al populatiei din Romania din 7 ianuarie 1992 (The
General Census of the Population of Romania from January 7, 1992), vol. I,
Bucuresti, 1994 - Zsido Lexikon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929
- Erdelyi Lajos, Regi zsidotemetok muveszete, Bukarest, Kriterion, 1980
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944),
Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian - Demeter Lajos, A Szepiszentgyorgyi regi zsido temeto sirkoveirol, in Evkonyv, 1996
- Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania (Sources and
Testimonies on the Jews in Romania), vol. III/1-2, coord. L. Gyemant, L.
Benjamin, Bucuresti, Ed. Hasefer, 1999 - Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The
historical dictionary of localities from Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967 - Otto Mitelstrass, Historisch-Landeskundlicher Atlas von Siebenburgen, Ortsnamenbuch, Heidelberg, 1992
- Gyemant Ladislau, Evreii din Transilvania in epoca emanciparii (1790-1867),
The Jews of Transylvania in the Age of the Emancipation, Bucuresti, Ed.
Enciclopedica, 2000 - Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Szabo Janos and Terzele Juliu, 04.12.2000, Racosul de Jos. [January 2003]