Jewish cemetery in Proszowice

The Jewish cemetery in Proszowice, located on Krakowska Street at the western edge of the town, covers an area of 0.36 hectares and is situated on a gentle hill near the road connecting Kraków and Proszowice. Unfortunately, during World War II, the cemetery was completely devastated by the German occupiers, resulting in the destruction of many tombstones and memorial sites. The cemetery contains graves of Holocaust victims, the most significant of which include the grave of an unidentified woman and child executed in the summer of 1943, the grave of the Gersin couple executed in December 1942, and the grave of twenty-two individuals shot by the Nazis in October 1942 in the area of Kościuszki Street. Another important site is the grave of the Manel family, who were connected to the local Jewish community and were executed during the same period. After the war, in 1989, the cemetery underwent a restoration process; fragmented and preserved matzevot (tombstones) were embedded into the central wall of the cemetery to preserve the memory of the deceased and their tragic fates. Wiesław Kubik actively participated in this effort, assisting in the recovery of the tombstones. Memorial plaques were also installed to document the history and commemorate the victims, highlighting the cultural significance of the site as a symbol of the losses suffered by the Jewish community during the Holocaust. The Proszowice cemetery is not only a place of remembrance but also an important reference point in the context of local history and the preservation of Jewish cultural identity in the region.