International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

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[Góra ¦l±ska county CoA]

51°40'43"N 16°32'38"E. As early as 1350 Jews lived on a city street, but an anti-Semitic wave of speeches in 1362 meant Jews were expelled. For hundreds of years, Jewish settlement in the town was prohibited. This changed only in the 19th century when King Friedrich Wilhelm II allowed Jews urban citizenship. In 1849, 30 Jews lived in Gora and in 1895, 110.  In the second half of the 19th century the first synagogue was built. Then about 1900, the Jewish population began to decrease due to difficult economic conditions and WWI.  In 1933, after the Hitler came to power, only 57 Jews remained. Nazi repression brought another wave of emigration.  In 1937, the Jewish population was 27. During Kristallnacht in 1938 damaged the synagogue and the Jews.  By May 1939, only six Jews remained. Their fate is unknown. [May 2009]

CEMETERY: Established in the second half of the 19th century on ul. Lipowej in the western part of the city near the Roman Catholic cemetery, the cemetery was destroyed by the Nazis. Marcin Wodziński's book "Hebrew inscriptions in Silesia in the 18th centuries" says that in 1943 the cemetery plot was taken by the Gestapo and was sold. The process of devastation continued even after liberation.  The current status of the cemetery at the end of the 1990s is reflected in the Jewish Historical Institute letter sent to the population of Gora: "The area is forested and covered by grass and weeds. I managed to find matzevot fragments, some in good condition. Lagoons are visible, probably arising as a result of recent graves theft. There are probably remnants of the wall and fence posts." photos. [May 2009]

US Commission No. POCE000309

Located in region Leszcsynskie. The town is located at 51º40'16º32', 24 km from Leszno and 89 km from Wrockaw. Other alternate name for town: Guhrau. Cemetery location: "Cmentarz Usytuowany jest przy szosie, Gora Sl., Bojanowo na niewielkim wzniesieniu tuz za ciyentayzem komlonalzyus." [needs translation] Present town population is 5,000 to 25,000 with no Jews.

  • Town: Burmistrz; Tadeusz Tutkalik, ul. Zieloya 1011, 56-200 Gora Slaska, tel. 27-73 and Urzad Miasta Gora Sl. ul. A Mickiewicza, 56-200 Gora Slaska, tel. 24-40.
  • Local: Maciaszyk Jerzy, Urzad Miasta-Reterat Gospodarki Gruntami.
  • Regional: Ewa Piesiewicz, Panstwowa Skizba Ochrony Zabytkow w Leszirie ul. Mickiewicza 5, tel 20-63-83.

1921 Jewish population was 57. Wasosz (Herrnstadt), 17 km from cemetery, and Czernina, 10 km away, used this unlandmarked Conservative and Progressive/Reform cemetery between fields and woods, separate but near other cemeteries, with no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. The cemetery has no fence, wall or gate. Approximate size of cemetery before World War II and presently is 0.05 ha. 1 to 20 stones, none in original location with less than 25% surviving, date from the 19th-20th century. The marble and sandstone flat shaped stones have traces of painting on some. The municipality owns the property is now used for Jewish cemetery only with no known mass graves. Property adjacent is agricultural and cmentarz komunalny.(communal cemetery?) It was not vandalized during World War II. There has been no maintenance. No structures. The cemetery is under serious threat from uncontrolled access, vegetation and vandalism. There is moderate threat from weather erosion. Dariusz Czwojdrak, ul. Lipowa 22 a/h 67-400 Wschowa completed survey November 24, 1991 after a visit to the site.

Zbigniew Kida, Gora Sl. was interviewed for this survey on November 23, 1991.

UPDATE: The cemetery, located at Lipowa Street, was destroyed on Kristallnacht. [August 2003]

MASS GRAVE: