Alternate names: Trzciel, Neu Tirschtiegel, Tirschtiegel [Ger]. 52°22' N 15°52' E, 216.8 miles W of Warszawa. This small town in Lubusz Voivodeship with 2,348 inhabitants in 2004. Beside the town of Trzciel, Gmina Trzciel contains the villages and settlements of Bieleń, Brójce, Chociszewo, Jabłonka, Jasieniec, Łagowiec, Lutol Mokry, Lutol Suchy, Nowy Świat, Panowice, Rybojady, Siercz, Sierczynek, Smolniki, Stary Dwór, Świdwowiec and Żydowo. Normal 0 Jewish settlements began before 1754. In 1772, 253 Jews had a synagogue. In 1775, they established a Jewish cemetery. Beginning in the mid-18th century, the Jewish population gradually decreased. In 1880, 162 Jews lived there. In 1910 the Jewish schools closed. During Kristallnacht in 1938 the Nazis plundered Jewish assets and burned the synagogue. In March 1940, the remaining Jews were deported. [July 2009]
CEMETERY: Located on the road to Jabłonki on a slope of "the Jewish lake" and established in 1775, this is one of the best-preserved cemeteries in Lubusz area, the oldest gravestone dates from the second half of the 18th century. The town was a typical with Ashkenazi Jews. Some symbols on the 50 remaining gravestones show the assimilation of the Jews (rose or butterfly). Thieves probably took many of the marble gravestones. The cemetery was cleaned by students in School 2 Gorzów Wlkp, members of the Polish Union of Jewish Students and young people from the German Campaign "penance". Video. Photos. [July 2009]
Cemetery photos. [January 2006]
US Commission No. POCE000346
Alternate German name: Tirschtiegel. Located in Gorzow Wlkp province at 52º23' N 15º53' E, 20 km from Miedzyrzecz. Cemetery location: by the road to Jablonka-Tarlak. Present population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Urzad Miasta i Gminy Trzciel.
- Local: mgr. Wladyslaw Czrostowski, Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, 65-413 Gorzow Wlkp, ul. Jagiekonczyka 8, tel. 75-295.
- Regional: (1) Panstwowa Sluzba Ochrony Zabytkow, addrier ul. Soszowize Wlkp; and (2) mgr. Iwona Brzewzecka, at the same address.
1921 Jewish population was 22. The Progressive/Reform Jewish cemetery was established rather late in the 18th century or the turn of the 19th century. No other towns or villages used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated suburban flat land by water has no signs or markers. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all with no walls, fences, or gates. The size of the cemetery before WWII was and is about 0.95 ha. 20-100 gravestones, 1-20 in original positions with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 1779-20th centuries. There are no structures. The granite and sandstone rough stones or boulders, flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decorations, or double tombstones have no other embellishments except Hebrew and German inscriptions. The municipality owns the property used for agriculture. Adjacent property is forest. Rarely, local residents visit. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II with no maintenance or care. Slight threats: weather erosion and vegetation. Moderate threats: security and vandalism. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem disturbing graves.
Henryk Grecki, 70-534 Szczecin, ul. Soltysia 3/13. tel. 377-41 completed survey on August 14, 1991 using documentation form. No visit.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [April 2016]