Unique Sunday

If I could I would travel all the time, but I can’t, so I try to learn about my world in a different way. By thematic walks with a guide. I usually go for that kind of walk once or twice a month. I learn about history of Warsaw, about its architecture and people who were living here. Every walk is unique. It tells about a different spot in a city, like particular cemetery or a style in the architecture. But the walk on last Sunday was one of the most special.

I went to Jewish cemetery on the right bank of Vistula river, which is closed for almost every one. Of course if you are stubborn, or a vandal, or you don’t respect sacred places, you are able to enter, but I am not… So when there was an opportunity to get a key and open the entry gate I agreed without any hesitation.

The main gate with a relief of praying Jews just before their execution

The main alley

This Jewish cemetery was built in ca. 1780. For many years it used to be the cemetery for the poor Jews. During the Second World War the Germans devastated it and used the steles for construction works. After the war the cemetery was in the state of deterioration for many years and served as a source of building material. There were also trees planted at the site and hundreds of steles were dragged onto one place. Now the cemetery is fenced thanks to the Nissenbaum Family Foundation.

Few steles

A cemetery of the cemetery

Lapidarium

 

The whole history of this Jewish cemetery can be found here: Sztetl or here: Kirkuty [both articles are in English].