In the second half of the 19th century, Żychlin saw the development of, among others, the food industry, as well as trade and crafts. In 1897, the Jewish community increased to 2,268 people and almost completely dominated the local trade. Of the 184 stores operating in the town, only seven were owned by Christians. In 1921, there were already 2701 Jews living here. In the interwar period, an electrical machine factory was established here.

After the outbreak of World War II, Żychlin was occupied by the Germans. In 1940, representatives of the local elite were arrested and transported to German Nazi concentration camps. In the same year, the Germans established a ghetto that soon became plagued by rampant hunger and disease. In 1942, the German police killed 100 Jews on the streets and soon liquidated the ghetto, transporting most of the prisoners to the German Nazi extermination camp in Chełmno nad Nerem.

The Description

The Jewish cemetery in Żychlin is located at Łukasińskiego 53. It was established in the 18th century. According to the list of real estate properties of the religious commune in Żychlin from 1928, it was one of two cemeteries (the other one remains unidentified). One was referred to as 'old' and the other as the 'new'. Their value was estimated at a total of 8,000 zlotys. Together they provided approximately 600 zlotys of annual income. In the old cemetery, probably the same as the cemetery at Łukasińskiego Street, there was a building for the caretaker. It was surrounded by a fence.

During World War II, the Germans shot the Jews of Żychlin at the cemetery. One execution took place when the ghetto was liquidated in 1942. A large group of sick and infirm people were killed here.

The cemetery was destroyed by the German occupiers, who used the tombstones for construction work, including building a pigsty on a nearby property. After the liberation, the abandoned cemetery fell into disrepair, being used as a pasture for cattle.

At the beginning of the 21st century, several monuments - small lapidaries - were erected from the preserved fragments of matzevas. The mass grave of Holocaust victims located at the back of the cemetery and the grave of tzadik Shmuel Abba from Żychlin, located at the back of the cemetery, were also marked. Thanks to the initiative of the residents, the necropolis area was fenced again.

Author of the note: Magda Lucima

Właściciel praw autorskich do opisu: Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich POLIN.