Recording Cultural Genocide and Killing Sites in Jewish Cemeteries
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Cultural GenocideCultureSteven Reece

“Poland has a huge hole in it”

Steven D. Reece, Founder and CEO of The Matzevah Foundation, discusses the impact that the destruction of the Jewish community in Poland had one the nation.

Authored by Steven D. Reece

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The Loss of Jewish Culture
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'“Poland has a huge hole in it”' Authored by Steven D. Reece

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  • Resources

    Publication: Cmentarz Żydowski w Oświęcimiu

    A new publication by our partners Dr Artur Szyndler and Dr Jacek Proszyk discusses the history, symbolism and natural environment of the Jewish cemetery in Oświęcim.

    Publication: Cmentarz Żydowski w Oświęcimiu
  • Articles

    Desecration of Synagogues and Other Religious Buildings

    As well as Jewish cemeteries, synagogues were widely targeted by the Nazis as part of their efforts to attack Jewish culture.

    Desecration of Synagogues and Other Religious Buildings
  • Piaski

    Piaski’s Old Jewish Cemetery

    Piaski's old Jewish cemetery has been totally destroyed and killings took place in its grounds.

    Piaski’s Old Jewish Cemetery
  • Piaski

    Piaski: Vandalism, Misuse and Neglect in the Present

    The Jewish cemeteries in Piaski were desecrated during WWII and used as killing sites. But vandalism, misuse and neglect still continues today

    Piaski: Vandalism, Misuse and Neglect in the Present
  • Articles

    Oświęcim: Transforming the Town

    Oświęcim was one of the first towns in Poland to be invaded by the German army after the outbreak of World War II.

    Oświęcim: Transforming the Town
  • Piaski

    Piaski: Mass Graves

    Witness testimonies and archaeological evidence demonstrate how cultural genocide turned to mass killings in Piaski's new Jewish cemetery.

    Piaski: Mass Graves
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Recording Cultural Genocide and Killing Sites in Jewish Cemeteries:

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This project was funded by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) under Grant No. 2016-597

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Origins:

Before the Holocaust, Jewish cemeteries were at the heart of Jewish communities, as places where history was preserved and remembered. During the Holocaust, the Nazis saw them as physical and symbolic expressions of Jewish culture. In an attempt to erase all traces of Jewish people, tombstones were toppled, graves desecrated, bones removed, and funerary houses looted. Not content with inflicting physical damage, the Nazis used cemeteries as execution sites, with mass graves excavated for (and sometimes by) those killed.

Goals:

This project will raise awareness of the causes and consequences of cultural and physical genocide within Jewish cemeteries, directly tackling racism, xenophobia and hostility in the present. It will mark the beginning of a planned long-term collaboration between the project partners as part of a commitment to researching these important, yet under-examined, aspects of Holocaust history.

Partners and supporters:
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Staffordshire University Centre of Archaeology The Matzevah Foundation Fundacja Zapomniane Rohatyn Jewish Heritage
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