50°25′26″N 21°18′17″E. Winnica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Połaniec within Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in south-central Poland, 2 km (1 mi) SE of Połaniec, 19 km (12 mi) SE of Staszów and 71 km (44 mi) SE of the regional capital Kielce. The village has a population of 130. [July 2009]
CEMETERY:
Located on Wojska Polskiego St., the cemetery was established in 19th century in the SE part of the town. About 10 matzevot are visible, the oldest from 1871. Part if a wall surrounds the 0.18-ha cemetery. [July 2009]
US Commission No. POCE000233
Winnica gmina (district) Polaniec is located in Tarnobrzeg at 50º26 21º17, 2km from Polaniec. At the place of the present village Winnica was the medieval town Polaniec, then transferred in the 15th century to its present sight. The cemetery is known from archaeological research. The cemetery is located at S part of village, highest point of escarpment of the river Wista. Present town population is fewer than 1,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Urzad Miasta i Gminy Polaniec, ul. Ruszczanska 27, tel. 65-06-22; 65-08-16; 65-01-00.
- Regional: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, (Mgr. Dominik Komada), Tarnobrzeg, ul. Pilsudskiego 40, tel. 22-81-61 and Dyrektor Wydzialu Spraw Spotecznych, Urzedu Wojewodzkiego, (Edward Kuracinski), Tarnobrzeg, ul. Kosciuszki 32, tel. 22-19-99.
- Interested: dr Boleslawa Chomentowska, lustutut Anheologii, Univwersytetn Warsawskiego, ul. Widok 10, Warszawa.
The earliest known Jewish community was established in the 14th century. 1931 Jewish population (census) was 1500. The Orthodox cemetery was established in the 14th century or perhaps as early as the end of the 13th century with last known Jewish burial before 1647. The rural crown of a hill, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign, gate or wall, but a ditch once surrounded it. Reached by crossing private open fields, access is open to all. The cemetery covers an area of no more than .5 hectacres. In 1986-1987, Dr. Bolestawa Chomentowska of the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, conducted excavations here, supposing the site to be the early medieval skeletal (parish). The first year's digging revealed the site to be the cemetery of the Jewish community of Polaniec, used from the 14th-17th centuries. Excavations revealed the remnant of 60 graves, but no surviving visible gravestones. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Private individuals, who use the land for agriculture s, now own the property.
Marek Florek, Rudnik n/Ganem, ul. Chopina 12/2, tel. 26 completed survey in 10/91 Documentation: Report on the exavations in Winnica during the years 1986-1987 (typescript); Anthropological analysis of the graves by E Wiezcinska of the Polish Academy of Sciences was inaccessible. Marek Florek visited the site on 20/10/91.