OLESNO: Opolskie

Alternate name: Rosenberg [Ger]. 50°12' N 20°56' E, 141.6 miles S of Warszawa. This town in Opole Voivodship, 42 km (26 mi) NE of the city of Opole is the capital of Olesno powiat (a unit of territorial administration and local government) and seat of Gmina Olesno. The area near the ancient Amber Road had been settled since the Neolithic era. Normal 0 Jewish population: 1787-112; 1832-213; 1880-244. The local kahał had a synagogue and cemetery. Immigration and WWI caused the decline of the Jewish population with 125 remaining in 1925. In the 1930s, Zionism was strong. Nazi repression forced many Jews to leave until1936 when 83 Jews lived here and then down to 58 in 1938 when on Kristallnacht, the synagogue built in 1887-89 was burned. At the outbreak of WWII only 34 Jews remained. [June 2009]

CEMETERY: An old, partially destroyed wall surrounds the cemetery. Until 1975, the district office paid an Oleśnie man as caretaker of the cemetery when it was well maintained, surrounded by a brick wall, and foliage choked, but intact. In the early 1980s, the city began to consider care of the cemetery. More than 100 matzevot were near the gate. Vegetation makes full entry to the cemetery difficult. Few gravestones are visible, the brick wall destroyed. The Nissenbaum Foundation found that they have sufficient funds for restoration, but now only several dozen graves and the tahara remain. photos. photos. videos.  [June 2009]

US Commission No AS 168

Alternate name: Rosenberg in German. Olesno in the region Czestochowa, 20º56', 50º12', 51 km from Czestochowa and 116 km to Opole. The cemetery location is Mtynska Str. 50. Present population is 5000-25,000 with no Jews.

• Village: Urzad Mirsta i Gminy, W. Pieloka 21, tel. 2404.
  
• Regional: region Konserwator Zabytkow, Czestochowa ul. Domagakiskich 2, tel. 49745.
  
• Interested: Stowarzyszenie Mieosnikow Olesna, Olesno, Jaronie str. 2, Roch Antkowiak, Olesno, Wolnoscis 4/10.
  

The earliest known Jewish community was last half of 18th century. 1925Jewish population was 102. The landmarked Orthodox cemetery was probably established at the beginning of the 19th century. The isolated suburban area flat land has no sign or marker. To reach the cemetery, turn directly off a public road. The approximate size of the cemetery before WWII and now is o.45ha. 100-500 gravestones, possibly 20-100 not in original locations with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 1821-20th century. The marble, granite and sandstone, flat shaped and finely smoothed with inscriptions and carved decorations or multi-stone monuments have Hebrew and German inscriptions. There are no known mass graves. Municipality owns property. Properties adjacent are agricultural and re

sidential. Rarely, local residents visit. There has not been any vandalization in the last ten years. Within the limits of the cemetery is a pre-burial house. Jan Puwet Woronczak and Jerry Woronczak visited the site in 1987.