OPENING OF THE LAPIDARIUM ON THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN TRZEMESZNO
The opening of the Lapidarium crowns more than two years of work on the cleaning up and commemorating the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno. This momentous event restores the memory of the Jewish community in our city and duly commemorates it. The creative efforts of a group of community activists and the Trzemeszno Municipality government resulted in the return of reconstructed matzevot (Jewish tombstones) to the Cemetery. The magnificent lapidarium and the monument illustrate the effects of the work done, which is also a testimony to the multicultural past of the Trzemeszno Municipality.
The work of commemoration has been supported by Jewish circles, including: Jewish Historical Institute Association, the Cultural Heritage Foundation in Warsaw, the Jewish Religious Community in Poznan, as well as the local government of Trzemeszno Municipality.
Monument and Lapidarium at the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno
The monument was erected on the site of the former funeral home. It is made of fragments of found matzevot, a structure with a fairly regular rectangular shape reinforced with granite pavers, placed on a concrete foundation. It exposes the slabs as they were found, some of them contain fragments of inscriptions. On the front side there is a plaque marking the cemetery, funded by the National Heritage Institute in Warsaw.
The Lapidary realizes the postulated idea of returning the matzevot to the Cemetery. It is an exposition of 21 mostly complete matzevot, which were carefully cleaned and reassembled to their original state. The matzevot are placed on an alley between two rows of trees, which is most likely a remnant of the cemetery path.
The work was carried out in the spring of 2023, mostly with some private resources, with the support of a group of community workers.
Calendar of works at the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno
1999
Finding fragments of matzevot (used as curbs) during the renovation of Ogrodowa Street in Trzemeszno.
III 2021
Commencement of talks by the City Council with the Rabbinical Commission for Cemeteries in Warsaw on the transfer of the matzevot to the Cemetery.
20 IV 2021
Working documentation of matzevot fragments by a group of community workers (Zygmunt Nowaczyk, Renata and Krzysztof Pałucki).
IV 2021
Publication of Agnieszka Kostuch's article titled "Gift of memory” and subsequent search of archival resources concerning the Jews of Trzemeszno.
01 VI 2021
Visit of the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich to Trzemeszno.
23 IX 2021
Meeting of city authorities with a group of community activists: Agnieszka Kostuch, Renata Pałucka, Katarzyna Sudaj, Dr. Andrzej Leśniewski, Zygmunt Nowaczyk.
22 X 2021
Appointment by the Mayor of Trzemeszno of a team for restoring and commemorating the Cemetery.
24 X 2021
Lecture by historian Dr. Robert Zimny and Jacek Derezynski on the restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Ryczywół.
X 2021
Announcement of an online collection by the "Direction of Culture" Foundation in Trzemeszno, contributions amounted to PLN 6,002.
9 XI 2021
Opening of proceedings by WWKZ in Poznań on entering the Cemetery in the register of monuments.
15 XI 2021
First meeting with Filip Szczepański of the Rabbinical Commission for Cemeteries in Warsaw.
XI 2021
Cleaning up the Cemetery's greenery with support of the Cultural Heritage Foundation and volunteer action.
1 XII 2021
Obtaining a grant by the Trzemeszno Municipality from the Jewish Historical Institute Association in Warsaw in the amount of PLN 5,000.
XII 2021 - I 2022
Inventory of matzevot fragments by community members under the direction of Dr. Andrzej Leśniewski.
27 I 2022 - 21 III 2022
Piecing together of matzevot by a group of community workers; translation of Hebrew and German inscriptions by historian-Judaist Sławomir Pastuszka.
VII 2022–XI 2022
Welding and cleaning of matzevot, performed by the company "GREMEX" Robert Gmaj in Mogilno.
1-15 X 2022
A series of events accompanying the "Museum on wheels" exhibition, originated by Katarzyna Sudaj.
07 XI 2022
Another grant from JHIA in the amount of PLN 8,000, beneficiary - "Direction of Culture" Foundation in Trzemeszno.
28 II, 5, 9 V 2023
Promotion of the project on TVP3 Poznań.
IV 2023
Construction of a monument at the Cemetery. Works performed by Zygfryd Korzeniewski under the direction of Dariusz Jankowski.
IV 2023 - VI 2023
Construction of the Lapidarium from reconstructed matzevot, with the help of private resources and work of local community workers.
21 IX 2023
Opening of the Lapidarium.
The project, in addition to the people listed in the calendar, involved Dariusz Lesniewski and Leszek Meller.
Program of the ceremonial opening of the lapidarium of matzevot at the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno on September 21, 2023.
11:00 - Ceremony at the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno
- ceremony of presentation of the cemetery marking
- prayer for the dead
- tour of the cemetery
12:00 - Meeting at the Community Self-help Center in Trzemeszno, 28 Mickiewicza St.
- greeting the guests
- short historical outline of the Jewish community in Trzemeszno
- presentation of the works on cleaning up and commemorating the Jewish Cemetery in Trzemeszno
- speeches by the invited guests
The event will be accompanied by the presentation of some of the synagogue silvers from Trzemeszno, which are located in the Jan Kasprowicz Museum in Inowrocław.
The text was prepared by Dariusz Jankowski
Translated by Weronika Pietz
Photo and video by Katarzyna Sudaj.