Jewish Cemetery - Zabytek.pl
Address
Dobrodzień
Location
woj. opolskie, pow. oleski, gm. Dobrodzień - miasto
History
The Jewish settlement in Dobrodzień most probably began in the Middle Ages, yet the community development was at its peak in the 19th century. The Jews residents accounted for over 10% of all the inhabitants. The cemetery was formally set up in 1750, yet first burials had been recorded as early as at least 20-30 years before. The Jewish community maintained their own synagogue (originally wooden, later brick), school, bath, and hospital - none of them exists today. The oldest tombstone - long gone today but known from a photograph - commemorated two women who died in 1729/1730. The cemetery operated until the outbreak of WW2. Major clean-up work took place in 2001.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak. -
Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, matzevah in the Polish style, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, matzevah in the cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, matzevah in the cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, matzevah in the cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, matzevah in the cemetery, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, tombstone of Joachim Fränkl, d. 1899, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, lapidarium on the cemetery wall, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
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Dobrodzień, Jewish cemetery, modern cemetery gate, condition as of 2011, photo by E. Kalbarczyk-Klak.
Description
The cemetery is located outside the city, in its south-east part. It is rectangular in shape and covers the the area of 0.84 hectares. It is enclosed by a brick fence. The layout of the quarters is no more discernible. The cemetery abounds in multiple old trees. About 140 tombstones have been preserved, with some of the oldest dating back to the 2nd half of the 18th century. The tombstones are made of sandstone, limestone and marble; in most cases, they take the form of vertical steles closed with overhanging or segmental arch. Some of them made of soft and easy-to-work stone exhibit richly carved form. The inscriptions are in the Hebrew, German, or both languages, even on the same matzevah. Some, besides the date of death (according to the Jewish calendar), also bear the date of burial. Some epitaphs are embellished with symbols associated with the tombstone art (not only Jewish).
The cemetery is generally accessible. It can be accessed by an alley from the north (from the village of Gosławice).
Compiled by Joanna Szot, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Opole, 01-01-2015 r.
Bibliography
- Karta cmentarza żydowskiego w Dobrodzieniu, oprac. J. Koj, 1987, WUOZ w Opolu.
- Weltzel A., Geschichte der Stadt und Herrschaft Guttentag nach Urkunden und amtlichen Actenstücken, Ratibor 1882.
- Wodziński W., Hebrajskie inskrypcje na Śląsku XIII-XVIII wieku, Wrocław 1996.
Category: Jewish cemetery
Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records
Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_16_CM.2820, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_16_CM.705
