US Commission No. ROCE-0565
The cemetery is located at Peles, 3993, com. Lazuri, judet Satu Mare, 4753 2249, 285.3 miles NNW of Bucharest and 22 km from Satu Mare. Alternate name: Nagypeleske (Hungarian). Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Lengyel Istvan, Town Hall of Lazuri, judet Satu Mare
- The Jewish Community of Satu Mare, Decebal Street no. 4A, 3900 Satu Mare, Romania, tel. 0040-61-713703
- The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Str., no 9-11, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- "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 and caretaker: Varga Andras, Peles, no. 47
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 96, by 1900 census was 138 and in 1930 was 63. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Satu Mare and on May 19, 22, 26, 29, 30, 31, and June 1 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox, Hasidic cemetery was established in second half of the 19th century. Last known burial was inter-war period
The rural/agricultural flat land, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all. A fence with a non-locking gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre-WWII size is unknown. Approximate post-WWII size is 44 x 14 m. 1-20 stones are visible, some or all not in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Stones removed from the cemetery are probably in surrounding farms. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year.
The oldest known gravestone dates from second half of the 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble and limestone flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed common gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are in village residential setting with houses, gardens, orchards, and pastures. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. Maintenance has been clearing vegetation. Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. Vandalism 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 23 July 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1880. Transilvania (1880 Transylvania Jewish Population Census.) coord. Traian Rotariu, Cluj 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 Lexicon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
- 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
- Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Evreii din Transilvania in epoca emanciparii, 1790-1867 (The Jews of Transylvania in the Age of Emancipation 1790-1867), Bucuresti, ed, Enciclopedica, 2000
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The Historical Dictionary of Localities in Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967
- Otto Mitelstrass, Historisch-Landeskundlicher Atlas von Siebenburgen, Ortsnamenbuch, Heidelberg, 1992
- Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Varga Andras, Peles. [January 2003].