Jewish Gravestones Recovered From River in Poland
Pieces of Jewish gravestones found at the bottom of Poland’s longest river have been returned to a Jewish cemetery.
The 17 gravestone pieces from the Jewish cemetery in the Brodno district were found at the bottom of the Vistula River, which is at a record low water level due to drought.
In addition to the gravestones, fittings of the Royal Palace in Warsaw including a fountain, vases and marble steps, which the Swedes tried to take out of the city in the seventeenth century, were also discovered.
A few decades ago, construction companies removed gravestones from the Jewish cemetery in Brodno and used them as building material. They were also used to strengthen the bottom of the river.
Last week the 17 pieces of tombstones were recovered from the river. On Monday they were placed at the cemetery.
The Brodno Jewish cemetery was established in 1780. It is currently managed by the Nissenbaum Family Foundation. The Jewish Community of Warsaw has plans to repair the damage and place security cameras at the cemetery.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!