TECUCI: judet Galati | Romania | International Jewish Cemetery Project

TECUCI I: US Commission No. ROCE-0278

The cemetery is located at Str. Linistei no. 3, Tecuci, judet Galati, Romania at 4552 2725, 117.9 miles NNE of Bucharest and 72 km. from Galati. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with 10-100 Jews.

Local Authority: Mayor Apostol Cornel, Str. 1 Decembrie no. 66, Tecuci. Phone: 036/812190
Local religious authority: The Jewish Community of Galati, Str. Dornei no. 7. Phone: 036/413662
National religious authority: The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Str., no. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
Interested: "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi Street, no. 15, 6600-
Iasi Judet Iasi, Moldavia , Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
Caretaker and key holder: Handuc Aurel, Str. Duzilor no. 6, Tecuci, judet Galati.

The Jewish population by census was 44 in 1803, 77 in1831, 96 in 1838, 161 in 1859, 412 in 1910 and 1531 in 1930. In 1941, the Jews were deported to Caracal (Romania.)

The cemetery was established in 20th century. Last known burial was December 2000 (Izu Moshe). The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery is 3.5 km from the congregation that used it. The urban flat land, separate but near other cemeteries, has Jewish symbols on wall or gate. Reached by a public road, access is open with permission. A masonry wall with a gate that locks surrounds the site.

Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 300 x 250 m. 500-5000 stones are visible. 500-5,000 stones are in original lsulitaocation. 1-20 stones are not in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections.

The oldest known gravestone dates from 1912. Tombstones date from the 20th century. The marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and slate tombstones have Hebrew and Romanian inscriptions. Some have traces of painting on their surfaces, iron decorations or letting, bronze decorations or lettering, and other metallic elements and portraits on stones, sculpted monuments, and multi-stone monuments. Some have iron decoration or lettering, carved relief-decorated, double tombstones, and sculpted monuments. The cemetery has Holocaust memorial and Jewish soldier memorial.

The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are commercial or industrial and residential. Frequently, individual tours and private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors and local residents stop at the never vandalized cemetery. Maintenance has been clearing vegetation. Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. No threats.

Lucian Nastasă, Clinicilor Street, no. 19, Cluj, Romania, tel. 064/190107. email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. visited the site and completed the survey on 17 December 2000 using the following documentation:

E. Schwarzfeld, Din istoria evreilor: împopularea, reîmpopularea si
întemeierea tîrgurilor si tîrgusoarelor în Moldova, Bucuresti, 1894.
N.Sutu, Notiti statistice asupra Moldaviei, Iasi, 1852.
George I.Lahovari, Marele dictionar geografic al României, 5 vol.,
Bucuresti, Edit.Socec, 1899.
I.M.Dinescu, Fiii neamului de la 1859 la 1915. Statistica sociala pe
întelesul tuturora, Iasi, Institutul de Arte Grafice N.V.Stefaniu, 1920.
Leonida Colescu, Analiza rezultatelor recensamîntului general al
populatiei României de la 1899, cu o prefata de Sabin Manuila, Bucuresti,
Institutul de statistica, 1944.
Pinkas Hakehillot, Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities Romania, I-II,
Ierusalim, 1980.
D. Ivanescu , Populatia evreiasca din orasele si tîrgurile Moldovei între
1774-1832, în "Studia et acta historiae iudaeorum romaniae", II, Bucuresti,
Edit.Hasefer, 1997, p.59-65
Eugen Tatomir, Contributiuni la studiul evreilor ca element producator in economia nationala, Bucuresti, 1937

Lucian Nastasă interviewed Handuc Aurel, Str. Duzilor no. 6, Tecuci, judet Galati on 14 January 2001. [January 2003]

TECUCI II: US Commission No. ROCE-0280 - (judet Galati)

See TECUCI I for town information.

Caretaker with key: Petrescu Valentin, Fundatura M. Kogalniceanu no. 18, Tecuci

The cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial at the end of the 19th century. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery is 1 km from the congregation that used it.

The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is entirely closed. A fence with no gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 30 x 60 m. 20-100 stones are visible. 20-100 stones are in original location. 1-20 stones are not in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year.

The oldest known gravestone dates from 19th century. The marble, limestone, and sandstone have Hebrew and Romanian inscriptions. Some have traces of painting on their surfaces, iron decorations or letting, bronze decorations or lettering, and other metallic elements. Some have portraits on stones. The Galati or Tecuci Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are residential. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery has no maintenance, but has a unpaid regular caretaker. No structures. Weather erosion and pollution are moderate threats.

E. Schwarzfeld, Din istoria evreilor: împopularea, reîmpopularea si întemeierea tîrgurilor si tîrgusoarelor în Moldova, Bucuresti, 1894.
N.Sutu, Notiti statistice asupra Moldaviei, Iasi, 1852.
George I.Lahovari, Marele dictionar geografic al României, 5 vol., Bucuresti, Edit.Socec, 1899.
I.M.Dinescu, Fiii neamului de la 1859 la 1915. Statistica sociala pe întelesul tuturora, Iasi, Institutul de Arte Grafice N.V.Stefaniu, 1920.
Leonida Colescu, Analiza rezultatelor recensamîntului general al populatiei României de la 1899, cu o prefata de Sabin Manuila, Bucuresti, Institutul de statistica, 1944.
Pinkas Hakehillot, Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities Romania, I-II, Ierusalim, 1980.
D. Ivanescu , Populatia evreiasca din orasele si tîrgurile Moldovei între 1774-1832, în "Studia et acta historiae iudaeorum romaniae", II, Bucuresti, Edit.Hasefer, 1997, p.59-65
Eugen Tatomir, Contributiuni la studiul evreilor ca element producator in economia nationala, Bucuresti, 1937

Lucian Nastasă interviewed Petrescu Valentin, Fundatura M. Kogalniceanu no. 18, Tecuci on 14 January 2001. [January 2003]

[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [April 2016]