For more than 100 years, the Jewish inhabitants of Baligród were subordinate to the Lesko community and probably buried their dead at the local cemetery. It was not until they became independent from the Lesko community that a synagogue was built and a cemetery was demarcated in Baligród. Apart from the town itself, the community of Baligród also included several surrounding villages.

Description

The origins of the Jewish cemetery in Baligród date back to the first half of the 18^th century. The necropolis was located about 150 meters north-west of the market square, on a hillside at the Duplak Street. It is not certain what the original size of the cemetery was and whether it was expanded by merging it with adjacent plots of land over the course of time. We have no information on any fence surrounding the cemetery prior to World War II. Today, the cemetery covers an area of approximately 0.95 hectares. Its boundaries are not visible, they are defined by streets to the south and east.

Based on the analysis of the preserved tombstones, it can be concluded that the earliest burials were held in the part of the necropolis located on the lower part of the hill. It is there that matzevot originating from the first half of the 18^th century can be found. The oldest tombstone is a matzeva erected for Aaron, son of Israel, who died on 3 November 1731. Researchers used to claim that even tombstones from 1716 or 1718 could be found in the oldest part of the cemetery, but it is impossible to find those nowadays.

The cemetery was used as a burial ground until World War II, probably until the summer of 1942. It is known that during the occupation many gravestones were used by the Germans to pave the market square. They were later covered with a layer of asphalt and have remained there to this day. In the summer of 1942, local Jews were deported to the camp in Zasław, while the cemetery was still used to carry out executions and bury Jews who were hiding in the area, as well as the Poles who had helped them.

After World War II, the cemetery continued to fall into decline. Its area became overgrown with vegetation and the tombstones were stolen and then used for building walls and paving yards and roads.

In 1990, by the decision of the Provincial Conservator of Monuments in Krosno, the cemetery was entered in the register of monuments under number A-194, dated 30 March 1990.

At the beginning of the 21^st century, the condition of the cemetery began to improve. It was taken care of by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage (Polish: Fundacja Ochrony Dziedzictwa Żydowskiego, FODŻ). Its area was cleaned up by students from the lower secondary school in Mchawa as part of the “To Bring Memory Back” programme, run by the FODŻ from 2005 to 2006. In the years 2006–2010, further cleaning works were carried out by the Magurycz Association (Polish: Stowarzyszenie Magurycz) with the support of the Baligród Municipality, Volunteer Fire Brigade, and Baligród Forest Inspectorate.

Every year, it is necessary to clean up the growing vegetation in the cemetery, and the matzevot deteriorating due to erosion need maintenance. Currently, there are about 150 tombstones as well as 100 fragments of matzevot within the unfenced area of the cemetery. Most of them are made of sandstone, although there are also some limestone ones, which is a rarity in this area. Apart from traditional matzevot, one semi-cylindrical supporting stone from the first half of the 18^th century has been preserved.

Description copyright owner: POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews