In the 17th century, there was an economic decline of the town, caused by, among others, the invasion of Prince George II Rákóczi in 1656 and the Tatar attack in 1672. The measure of destruction was completed by a fire in 1717. Despite this, in the mid-18th century, Jews already had a kahal, a synagogue and a cemetery. In 1765, the Jewish community of Dubiecko numbered 116, and the Jewish community in the entire kahal numbered 136. In 1799, by order of the Bishop of Przemyśl, the synagogue was demolished because no consent was obtained to build it.

In the 19th century, the Jewish community dominated the local trade and crafts in Dubiecko. On the market square, Jews had two inns and five taverns. The Credit Society operated from 1895. In 1900, 977 Jews lived here, while in the entire religious community there were 1,351. There was no separate Jewish district.

During World War I, the town was destroyed and Russian troops looted properties, including those belonging to the Jewish population. However, in 1918, local peasants looted shops belonging to Jews.

In the interwar period, the Jewish community was mostly Hasidic, divided into supporters of various tzadiks. Several political parties operated here, including Mizrachi and Aguda, as well as the He-Chalutz Zionist youth organisation. There was a Farmer Circle of the Jewish Agricultural Society. The last rabbi was Samuel Aron Flam.

Following the outbreak of World War II, Dubiecko was occupied by the Germans. In 1939, the occupiers ordered the demolition of the synagogue and then forced local Jews to cross the San River to the Soviet occupation zone. Some, however, have returned to their homes. In 1942, the German authorities carried out a liquidation action, during which they shot several dozen Jews. During the German occupation, there were also other mass executions.

The Description

The Jewish cemetery in Dubiecko was built before 1852. It is located approx. 300 m from the market square, at Górkowa street, on the plot no. 226. It functioned until the Second World War, when it was destroyed by the German occupation authorities, who used the tombstones to pave roads and also carried out mass executions in the area. Currently, the cemetery is heavily overgrown and surrounded by a fence made of prefabricated concrete elements. There are a few fragments of tombstones preserved in the area, but they were not found during the field visit in 2023.

Author of the note: Magda Lucima

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