Transcript MIEDZYRZEC PLACE OF INTEREST

MIEDZYRZEC
PLACE OF INTEREST
Post Office
Tish House
THE JEWISH CEMETERY
Jewish Hospital
Fire station Building
Jewish High-School
GHETTO
RYNAK,
LUBELSKA STR.
Train Station
PL. JANA PAWLA –CITY SQUARE – "RYNEK" ONCE
PL. JANA PAWLA –CITY SQUARE – "RYNEK" ONCE
This was the place in which Jewish settlement in Miezritch first started. At the start of the16th
century, the town landowners agreed to Jewish settlement in the town on condition that the
Jews pay high taxes and develop the commerce and trade. Initially, the Jews were permitted
to build wooden buildings in the square that served as stores and workshops. Over time the
building structures changed many times due to the many fires that happened in the square
during hundreds of years. In the 19th century four impressive stone buildings were built,
containing 88 stores that all belonged to the Jews. The place was called "Rad" in Yiddish and
looked like a modern mall, that became the commercial center of the city and of the whole
region. Construction of the "Rad" commenced in 1866 and continued for several years.
In 1940-41 the Poles and the Germans destroyed the buildings (the "Rad“) and the square
became one big area. ( All the trees that one sees today, did not exist then, rather there was
one big stone- paved square and a small garden next to the church.)
During the Nazi occupation, the square was used as an assembly for the Jews before they
were lead to the train station and deported to Treblinka.
All the seven ‘Aktions’ took place here and these were the most tragic of events in the city.
Thousands of Jews were murdered here cruelly by the Germans, the Ukrainians and
Lithuanians. Many women and infants perished in the most sadistic way here. One can well
say that under every stone and tree, blood of our dear ones was spilled.In the arched lane
that leads to the square, the brothers Ts'nki were murdered by the Gestapo, after being
informed upon by the head of the Judenrat. They were the only ones who successfully
escaped Treblinka and told in detail what was happening there. At the house next door to the
Sobelman Hotel (the Hotel that served as the Gestapo and the Germans officers dwellings).
nine Jews managed to hide out successfully there for a year ad half. The place was and is still
very central located , which perhaps was what made it such a successful hide out. No one
would have ever imagined that Jews were hiding in the Gestapo dwellings. It is worth pointing
out that it was due their own resourcefulness alone that they survived, with no external
assistance whatsoever.
The Ghetto (September 1942 - 19-July 1943)
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The entire area of the Ghetto called
Shmolvizina no longer exists. New buildings
were built in that area by the Polish people,
such that it is impossible to identify traces of
the past.
Only at numbers 17 and 19 Grabarska street
do two original houses from the ghetto exist
(there are signs on them stating that they are to
be demolished). Despite their dilapidated state
they are occupied by Polish people. These
houses were built in the middle of the 19th
century.
In the ghetto thousands of Jews lived in great
congestion. There were only two gates to the
Ghetto, that were guarded by the Jewish police.
Despite the fact that leaving the Ghetto by
Jews was punishable by death, it did not
necessarily prove a deterrent. Smuggling of
food or looking for ways to be saved was
constant and at night people exited and
entered through breaks in the fence for this
purpose.
After each ‘aktion’ the Nazis decreased the area
of the Ghetto by destroying houses and thus
stole Jewish property.
The great Synagogue ( built in 1761 destroyed
1943
The construction of the synagogue
took 170 years. It was a huge
structure that catered for 3000
worshipers. Today there is no
remnant of the synagogue. The
Poles built housing on the land.
Only a number of people can
point to its exact location.
• Due to the size and thickness of
the walls of the Synagogue
structure, the Germans were
compelled to bring in a specialist
engineering unit which detonated
the structure. From the stones and
the red bricks which distinguished
the building the Germans laid a
path in the forest leading to
Z'rotsin,
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THE JEWISH CEMETERY (SINCE 1810)
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Not many people know that there was another Jewish cemetery in Mezritch. At the corner of
Brzeska and Zarowie streets there are still signs of the first cemetery which was founded with
arrival of the first Jews to the city circa 1512 and operated until 1810.
Today it is difficult to find the old cemetery Over time it filled and at some point burials moved to
the existing cemetery.
In the existing cemetery, thousands of MIEDZYRZEC Jews and others who were shot or died
during the Nazi occupation are buried in mass graves, but it is impossible to identify the exact
position of the graves due to a lack of markers, given that most of all gravestones that existed
before the war were taken by the Germans to build streets.
The only mass grave with clear signage is that of 179 Jews that were shot in the seventh action
(the last one) on the outskirts of Piski and were transferred for burial by the Polish People in
1946. These were the last Jews of MIEDZYRZEC.
On the 3rd of May 1943 the Nazis executed 200 Jews right outside the entrance gate of the
cemetery . These Jews were apparently caught after the transit following the fifth aktion had
already left for Majdanek and therefore it was more convenient and inexpensive to kill them on
the spot. Under strict guard they were lead to the area next to gate of the cemetery. Here under
deathblows, women, children and men were ordered in groups of ten to undress and enter the
cemetery. Inside the cemetery a giant pit had been dug. After they descended into the pit they
were all gunned down by a machine gun. Not one person survived from this group. However
there is testimony of a young Polish man who was an eye witness. He told of a boy named
Fuga who poured acid on face of one of the Germans involved in the killing. Of course a soon
as he threw the acid he was shot.
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House of family Tish. in the time of the war, station
of Polish Police. (Warszawska koscielna)
• During the time of the Nazi
occupation, the house served as
the Polish police station, prison
and place where Jews and also
some non Jews were executed.
The Jews that were caught
smuggling food, or were outside
the Ghetto, without a yellow star
affixed, or were given up, were
brought here.
• Every weekend the well known
"Shlieger" arrived and executed
the Jews in the Courtyard, at times
with his own hands.
• After the shooting, they would call
the "Chevre Kadisha" who would
leave with a cart full of corpses
from the Koscielna side gate.
LUBELSKA STR.
• This was the main street.
Before the war, the Jewish
people used to walk and meet
in this street. On Saturday
nights the street barely
contained the crowds. Along
the street were the exclusive
stores and shops. In summer
and spring the bridge was the
preferred meeting place. Sadly
it was down this street that the
Jews of MIEDZYRZEC were
lead to the railway station on
their final journey – to
Treblinka.
• It was in no. 36 of this street,
near the square that my
family - the BARG family
lived before the war..
JEWISH High-School (Gymnasium) AT 57-59
LUBELSKA STR.
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During its 21 years of
existence the “gymnasium”
produced 14 rounds of
graduates – approximately
200. The "gymnasium" budget
was fully funded by tuition fees
and despite its budgetary
difficulties, the gymnasium
blossomed in the years
preceding the war. Today, the
place is used as Polish HighSchool, with no mention
whatsoever of its past .
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Elementary school, establish in 1925
(Warszawska-POWSZECHNA )
– Most of its students were Polish children from the
city and the surrounding area. Because of the
negative treatment of the Jewish children by the
Polish People, very few Jewish people sent their
children to Powszechna, despite the tuition being
free.
– At all the Jews educational institutions, tuition fees
were payable .The Polish government did not
support the Jewish educational institutions despite
the fact that the law called for compulsory
education.
The post office establish in 1824
• Even though it was
refurbished, the form
building did not change
since 1824. In the previous
century the mail was
carried by ‘diligensim’
(carriages with horses) and
these would stop by the
building loading and
unloading mail items.
The fire station Build in 1926 (koscielna 3)
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The building was established through
the donation of Jews in the United
States who had once lived in
MIEDZYRZEC .The building served as
a fire station. All the firemen were
Jewish and all of them volunteers.
With the establishment of the station,
modern equipment was brought in,
including two fire extinguishing units
with modern pumps.
Until then, all the fire extinguishing
work was done with carriages and
horses. It is worth pointing out that the
city suffered many fires over time.
In the upper floors were the theater
hall and rooms that served the
firemen’s band – made up of wind
instruments. Vibrant Jewish cultural life
took place in this building: plays,
presentations, concerts, different clubs
, lectures and more..
THE JEWISH HOSPITAL IN BRZESKA
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The Jewish hospital was refurbished
in1929 through financial assistance
from Jews in the United States.
The hospital served Jews as well as
Poles. During the 1st aktion on the
25th of August 1942, all the sick Jews
were shot in their beds by the "Shliger"
and his friends.
Today there is no mention in any place
of the Jewish past of the hospital.
TRAIN STATION
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The structure of the train station
remains unchanged, since the
construction of the station in the
middle of the 19th century.
Today a new neighboring building
serves the passengers.
Here, the Jews of MIEDZYRZEC
were taken from their town and
families, and sent like cattle in sealed
train carriages to Treblinka and
Majdanek.
This station was witness to the
suffering of people being lead to their
death who were loaded onto the train
carriages like animals. Much Jewish
blood was spilled here. .
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• IN MEMORY OF MY FAMILY:
My father SENDER BARG born in MIEDZYRZEC, who passed away in
ISRAEL as a free man.
My grandparents: BLUMA and MOSHE BARG
My aunt SHEINA and her husband MORDECHAI SHTERN and their 2
children
My aunt GITTEL and her husband MORDECHAI RIBAK and their 2-3
children.
… and all the family exterminated after September 1941.
My Aunt CHAYA SARA and Uncle SAM RADMAN born in MIEDZYRZEC, who
passed away in the USA as free people.
My Uncle ISRAEL BARG born in MIEDZYRZEC, who passed away in ISRAEL
as free people.
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REMEMBER!
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REMEMBER MIEDZYRZEC's Jewish population - exterminated during the
World War 2.
REMEMBER all those who left MIEDZYRZEC before the Holocaust and
passed away as free people.
In honor of those who lived to tell us the stories and the facts about
MIEDZYRZEC, "Little America“ in Poland, city of 19,000 Jews before the war
and none today.
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Edited by: Oded Bar ( Barg )
2ND Generation of MIEDZYRZEC survivor.
March 2007. ([email protected])
Thanks to: Avrham Gafni
for the information, the book and documents
giving by him.
Translate from Hebrew: Mimi Kind