International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

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Alternate names: Stopnica [Pol], Stubnitz [Yid], Stopnitza, Стопница [Rus], Stovnitz. 50°26' N, 20°57' E, 30 miles SSE of Kielce. 1900 Jewish population: 3,134. Stopnica is a village in Busko powiat, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in south-central Poland and the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Stopnica, 17 km (11 mi) Eof Busko-Zdrój and 55 km (34 mi) SE of the regional capital Kielce. 2007 village population was about 1,500. Gmina Stopnica contains the villages and settlements of Białoborze, Borek, Bosowice, Czyżów, Dziesławice, Falęcin Nowy, Falęcin Stary, Folwarki, Jastrzębiec, Kąty Nowe, Kąty Stare, Klępie Dolne, Klępie Górne, Konary, Kuchary, Mariampol, Mietel, Nowa Wieś, Podlasek, Prusy, Skrobaczów, Smogorzów, Stopnica, Strzałków, Suchowola, Szczeglin, Szczytniki, Szklanów, Topola, Wolica, Zaborze and Żerniki Dolne. In 1362 Stopnica was granted the civic rights by King Casimir III the Great and lost those rights in 1870. During WWII, the village was almost completely destroyed. Before the war Stopnica had a large Jewish community. cemetery photos.video. The cemetery located at the rear of the ul Kościuszki agricultural cooperatives has only matzevot fragments. Holocaust memoir.  [July 2009]

STOPNICA (I):     US Commission No. POCE000302

Stopnica is located in the Kielce region at 50°27N, 20°01E, about 212 km from Lodz. The cemetery is located on Kosciuszki Street. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with no Jews.

  • Town: Vojt Gminy Stopnica, 28-130 Stopnica Volo Busha-Zdroju, tel. 56.
  • Local: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, ul. IX Wiekow Kielce 3, Kielce, tel. 45634.

The earliest known Jewish community in Stopnica was 15th century. 1921 Jewish population was 1921, 75.6%. August III confirmed privilege granted to the Jews in 1759. The unlandmarked Jewish cemetery was established in the 16th century with last known Orthodox or Conservative Jewish burial in 1943. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. No wall, fence, or gate surround. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No gravestones or known mass graves are visible. Municipality owns site used for industrial/commercial purposes and for storage. Properties adjacent are industrial/commercial and agricultural. Rarely, organized individual tours and private Jewish visitors stop. The cemetery was vandalized during W.W.II, but not in the last 10 years. No maintenance or structures. Very serious threat: incompatible development and storage "Gminna Spoldzielnia". Serious security, weather erosion and vandalism threats and slight pollution threat.

Dr. Adam Penkalla, deceased, who also visited the cemetery, completed survey. [date?]

STOPNICA (II):     US Commission No. POCE000303

This cemetery is located in the quartier Bietoborze-Hektaryon between the road for Dleshica. It was established in the 16th century with last known Orthodox or Conservative Jewish burial in 1943. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. No wall, fence, or gate surround. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. The size of the cemetery before W.W.II was about 1.2 hectares, the same size now. 1-20 limestone and sandstone rough stones or boulders are visible, all in original location with less than 25% toppled or broken. No known mass graves. Municipality owns site used for Jewish cemetery and animal grazing. Properties adjacent are agricultural and residential. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose a smaller area [sic] due to new roads, a housing development and agriculture. Private Jewish visitors rarely visit. The cemetery has not been vandalized in the last 10 years. No maintenance or structures. Serious vegetation threat and moderate threats from lack of security, weather erosion, pollution, vandalism, and incompatible nearby developments (existing and planned).

Dr. Adam Penkalla, deceased, who also visited the cemetery, completed survey. [date?]