Published: 2021-12-20

The Jewish cemetery in Bochnia: a trace of former residents and an element of local heritage

Dr Iwona Zawidzka
Journal of Urban Ethnology
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19.%202021.003

Abstract

In the interwar period, the Jewish community constituted around 20% of all inhabitants of Bochnia. The Jewish cemetery is one of the most important traces of this community to have survived to the present day. The preserved graves, many of which still bear readable epitaphs and symbolic decorative motifs, point to the former owners of this place. They can be a source of information about members of the community and aspects of their culture related to the veneration of the dead and the sepulchral art. The role of the cemetery as a historical source is particularly important when the community it used to serve no longer exists. However, while being a carrier of information about the local Jewish community, not only is it a memento of this group, but it also constitutes a part of the town’s history that can be considered the heritage of its modern inhabitants.

Keywords:

cementery, heritage, Jewish community

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Zawidzka, I. (2021). The Jewish cemetery in Bochnia: a trace of former residents and an element of local heritage. Journal of Urban Ethnology, 19, 47–59. https://doi.org/10.23858/JUE19. 2021.003

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