Jewish Tombstone Fragments Pulled From Polish River

By JTA July 7, 2015

Fragments of about 100 tombstones from a Jewish cemetery destroyed by the Nazis were removed from a riverbed in Poland.

Archaeologists removed the tombstone fragments from the Warta River, located in Mstow, Silesia, on the border with the Czech Republic, Radio Poland reported Tuesday.

The discovery of the fragments, identified by Hebrew-language inscriptions and Jewish symbols, was made by a team of archaeologists from the University of Lodz.

Some of the tombstones were used as paving stones, archaeologist Olgierd Lawrynowicz told Radio Poland. He said the discovery of the fragments is a valuable source of information regarding the life of the Jewish community in Mstow prior to World War II.

Archaeologists will clean and catalog the fragments.

The Jewish cemetery was established in Mstow in the late 19th century.

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 still need 300 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