Museum
Kcynia, 27.03.2024

New markings of Jewish cemeteries in Poland

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage together with local partners organised the third edition of ceremonial unveilings of markings of Jewish cemeteries. The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is the prime mover behind the project. New markings were presented in seven provinces.

  • 27 March (Wednesday), noon – Kcynia (Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province)

During the ceremonies, newly designed information boards placed in Jewish cemeteries were presented for the first time. The matzevah-shaped boards contain both informative text and a modern form of commemoration – a QR code redirecting the user to a page describing broader characteristics of the necropolis contained in the zabytek.pl portal.

In each town, the ceremony was accompanied by a rich educational program addressed to the local community. The program acquainted the participants with a different dimension of the history of their towns and expanded their knowledge of traditions related to Jewish cemeteries. Primary schools participating in the program will have the opportunity to use the educational tool called "Miasteczko Malki. Muzeum w pudełku" ("Malka’s township. Museum in a Box") which contains replicas of objects and archival photos from the POLIN Museum collection, to be used in an educational board game for pupils in grades 4-6.

By 2024, new markings of Jewish cemeteries will appear in each of the sixteen provinces, and educational workshops addressed to children and youth will have been run.

See more:

Presentation of the markings of cemeteries is a fruit of the cooperation between POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage. The cemeteries were commemorated as part of the "Marking of Jewish Cemeteries in the Republic of Poland" program, realized by the National Institute of Cultural Heritage and financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The ceremonies and the accompanying program are realized as part of the "Jewish Cultural Heritage" project (Component IV: "Neighbours – Witnesses. Objects, People, Stories", Priority 2: "Program of describing and marking selected Jewish cemeteries"), made possible thanks to a grant awarded to POLIN Museum by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA and Norway Grants and funds allocated from the national budget. The aim of the project is to protect and popularize the heritage of Polish Jews through educational and cultural programs.

The partners in individual localities are:

acting in cooperation with local coordinators, schools and befriended local institutions.

More information about Jewish communities using marked cemeteries in the commemorated towns can be found on the Virtual Shtetl website.

Organizers:

POLIN Museum of the History of Polish JewsNational Institute of Cultural Heritage

Local partners:

 

Gmina Kcynia        Muzeum Miejskie Dzierżoniowa    City of Racibórz

Museum in Racibórz     Piska Pozycja Ryglowa    Gminne Centrum Biblioteki i Kultury in Iwaniska

Fundacja Ochrony Dziedzictwa Żydowskiego Municipality and city of ProszowiceŁaweczka Dialogu Association in Janów

The History of Photography Museum Foundation     Society of Friends of Brzozów-Zdrój      Olesno City

Dąbrowski Dom Kultury  Brzozów Forest Inspectorate

Starogard Forest InspectorateGoleniów Forest Inspectorate

Nadleśnictwo Rzepin

Logo of Jewish Cultural Heritage Project: from right side: logo of Norway grants, logo of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Republic of Poland, logo Polin Museum and JCK project.

www.eeagrants.org, www.norwaygrants.org, www.gov.pl