Alternate names: Puńsk [Pol], Punsk, פּונסק [Yid], Pun'sk, Пуньск [Rus], Punskas [Lith]. 54°15' N, 23°11' E, 12 miles NE of Suwałki, 1 mile from Lithuanian border. Jewish population: 228 (in 1921). Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IX, p. 302: "Puńsk". In this village with 1,050 inhabitants in the Podlaskie Voivodeship where over 80% of the population of Puńsk is Lithuanian is in NE, 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Lithuania. Puńsk belonged to Poland since 1920. Gmina Puńsk is a rural administrative district in Sejny County, Podlaskie Voivodeship in NE Poland on the Lithuanian border with its seat as the village of Puńsk, 20 km (12 mi) NW of Sejny and 126 km (78 mi) N of the regional capital Białystok. Gmina Puńsk contains the villages and settlements of Boksze-Osada, Buda Zawidugierska, Buraki, Dowiaciszki, Dziedziule, Giłujsze, Kalinowo, Kompocie, Krejwiany, Nowiniki, Ogórki, Oszkinie, Pełele, Poluńce, Przystawańce, Puńsk, Rejsztokiemie, Sankury, Sejwy, Skarkiszki, Smolany, Stare Boksze, Szlinokiemie, Szołtany, Tauroszyszki, Trakiszki, Trompole, Widugiery, Wiłkopedzie, Wojciuliszki, Wojtokiemie, Wołyńce and Żwikiele. Until WWII, the majority of its population was Jewish, Some extant old houses, the synagogue, and big cemetery remain from the Jewish community.
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On the hill on the way to Romaniuk NW of the village, the fenced cemetery has a few gravestones or fragments and seems completely neglected with dense vegetation making entry almost impossible. Photos. [June 2009]
Simon Schama Landscape and Memory (Fontana Press. 1995) describes Punsk cemetery as overgrown. [April 2002]
US Commission No. AS 178
Punsk is in Sulwalskie region at 54º14 23º10, 30 km from Suwalki. Cemetery: about 500 meters W of the market square. Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Local: Kamimierz Baranowski-wojt, Urzad Gminy w Punsku, 16-515 Punsk, ul. Miciewicza 23, tel. 161048, 161040.
- Regional: Stanislaw Tumidajewicz, Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabykow, 16-400 Sulwalki, ul. Kosciuszki 7, tel. 663741.
- Interested: Wojewodzkie Archiwum Panstwowe w Sulwalkach, ul. Kosciuszki 69, tel. 662167.
The earliest known Jewish community dates from the second half of the 18th century with a 1799 Jewish population of 60. 1927 Jewish population was 300. The cemetery was established around 1800. No other towns or villages used this cemetery. Landmarked: as a landmark or monument: Nr. Rej. Zabytkow region Sulwalskiego-A-884, decyzja WKZ: 534/884/d/91 on Nov. 25, 1991. The isolated suburban hillside and crown of a hill has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. The cemetery has a broken masonry wall without gate. The cemetery is 0.73 ha as before WWII. 1-20 granite or sandstone tombstones are rough stones/boulders or finely smoothed and inscribed stones inscribed with Hebrew with less than 25% toppled or broken date from the 20th century. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. The municipality owns the property used as a Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent property is used for commercial/industrial, agricultural, and residential purposes. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. It was vandalized during World War II. Authorities occasionally clear or clean. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Vegetation is a moderate threat and seasonal problem preventing access. Weather erosion is a slight threat.
dr. Janusz Machiewicz, 16-400 Suwalki, ul. 1 Maja 27a/47, tel. d.6663756, tel. Sl. 663741 completed survey on September 22, 1994. The site was not visited.