International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

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[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [November 2017]

January 2009:

Map of Town

Town Sobrance

Erb Sobrance Address: Phone:
00 421 56 652 22 10;652 35 10
Mestský úrad Fax: 00 421 56 652 24 10
Štefánikova 23 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
073 01 Sobrance
SLOVAKIA
Web: www.sobrance.sk
Region: Košický
District: Sobrance
Micro region: Sobranský
Inhabitants: 6296
Area: 1068 ha
First paper reference: in year 1334
Mayor: Ing. Pavol Džurina
Chief: JUDr. Pavol Kozma

ALTERNATE NAMES: SOBRANCE [SLOV], SZOBRÁNCZ [HUN], SZOBRÁNC [HUN], SOBRANZ [GER]. 48°45' N, 22°11' E, In E Slovakia, 43 miles E of Košice (Kassa), 11 miles NNW of Uzhhorod (Ungvár). Jewish population: 349 (in 1880), 395 (in 1941)

  • JewishGen Hungary SIG
  • Pinkas HaKehilot, Slovakia (2003), p. 368: "Sobrance (Szobránc)".
  • Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), p. 1209: "Sobrance".

CEMETERIES:

  • Cemetery I: US Commission No. SLCE000015. Sobrance is located E of Michalovce. The isolated suburban location has no sign or marker and is located about 2 meters south of Sobrance, off Route 6 and near Komarovce.. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all via a fence with a locking gate. 100-500 18th-20th century marble, granite, limestone, and sandstone flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with carved relief decorations with Hebrew inscriptions are in original locations. The site is Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Occasionally, private visitors stop. With no maintenance, individuals clean or clean occasionally. Vegetation is a moderate threat, disturbing graves. Weather, Vegetation and pollution are minor threats.
  • Sobrance Cemetery II: Sobrance sits astride Route 50. Sobrance is about 1¼ hour drive from Kosice, which is west of Sobrance. Cemetery is north of Route 50 and downtown Sobrance near the Hlinik River. In Sobrance, find Kupelska Ulica (street) in approximately the middle of the town. Coming from the west, turn left on Kuselska Ulica (north). About l km. distance, there is a fork in the road. The road to the right goes to Hlivista and the road to the left goes to Michalovce (an alternate to Rt. 50). The cemetery is at the junction of these two roads. The cemetery has a gate, but it is impossible to open because of the overgrowth of weeds. It is possible to enter the cemetery through an opening in the underbrush to the right of the metal gate. I counted about thirty stones that I could see physically. Many others were covered with too much overgrowth, making it very difficult to get to them. There is no maintenance of the cemetery.
  • UPDATE: I found a woman in the town hall (Metsky Urad) named Alzbeta Ondilova, the Clerk in the Records Section. She does not speak English, but she appeared to be very interested in offering help but for the language barrier. It might be helpful to find an interpreter in Kosice (where I stayed) if one is interested in doing family research there. A friend, who was there several years ago, was able to get some information for me from Ms. Ondilova. Source: Eugene Glantz, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [June 2000]
  • UPDATE: A 1906 Austro-Hungarian military map shows both of these cemeteries. The map also shows a Jewish cemetery a little farther north of the one described in the update between Ruskovce and Jasenov and another that is northeast of Sobrance and west of Chonkovce. I have no information on the condition of these sites. I visited Cemetery I and found it very overgrown. Bobby Furst donated about 150 pictures that were taken in that cemetery several years ago. We recently completed transcribing the inscriptions on about 135 of these matzevot and they will be added to JOWBR. Source: Vivian Kahn, Hungarian SIG Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [May 2006]