They formed part of the original group of settlers in the town, which became a thriving boatbuilding and rafting centre thanks to its location at the confluence of the Tanew and the San. The Jewish community was rapidly growing in size and founded its own synagogue as early as 1627.

In the mid-17th century, Ulanów suffered significant damages in the aftermath of the wars with Sweden and the Cossack invasion during the Khmelnystky Uprising. The raid of the town by Cossack troops in 1648 proved fateful for the local Jewish population. According to preserved accounts, the invaders murdered all Jews living in the town.

The Description

The community was revived relatively quickly. As early as 1673, there were already 103 Jews living in Ulanów. The local Jewish cemetery was established around that time. It was located about a kilometre northeast of the Market Square and covered an area of 1.282 hectare.  

In 1765, the local community comprised 848 people. A hundred years later, in 1870, it already had 2,589 members, 1,250 of whom lived in Ulanów itself. The community had jurisdiction over the following villages: Bieliniec, Bieliny, Borki, Bukowina, Dąbrowica, Dąbrówka, Domostwa, Glinianka, Golce, Huta Deręgowska, Jarocin, Majdan Jarociński, Kąty, Kutyny, Kłyżów, Kurzyna Mała, Kurzyna Wielka, Majdan Golczański, Mostki, Nalepy, Deputaty, Pysznica, Studzieniec, Szyperki, Zwolaki, Wólka Bielińska, Wólka Tanewska, Zarzecze, Zdziary.  

At the beginning of the 20th century, the town experienced substantial economic struggles. Conflicts began to arise between the local Christians and Jews. A pogrom was carried out in the town in 1905, when a rumour was spread that the Jews had desecrated a cross. The poor economic conditions in the town prompted many residents, including Jews, to migrate. The situation became even worse during World War I, when Ulanów suffered severe damages and its population was decimated by a famine. The local community once again started to shrink in size after 1918, this time due to emigration.  

The Jewish cemetery in Ulanów was used during World War II to bury the deceased or murdered Jews. In the autumn of 1942, the bodies of several dozen people were buried at the site – they had been shot by the Germans during the deportation of Jews from the town.

The cemetery in Ulanów, like many other Jewish burial sites, was destroyed by the Germans and continued to dilapidate after 1945.

In the 1980s, the cemetery grounds were cleaned up on the initiative of Józef Lizak – a local priest. The inhabitants of Ulanów fenced the area and cleared the vegetation overgrowing the site. Information boards in Hebrew and Polish were placed at the entrance gate, reading: “Jewish cemetery in Ulanów. Established ca. 1700. It is the biggest Jewish cemetery in Tarnobrzeskie Province. There are 150 matzevot at the cemetery, mostly from the 19th century. The site was recognised as a cultural monument in 1984. It has been renovated thanks to the efforts of the community of the Town and Municipality of Ulanów.” In 1984, the necropolis was entered into the register of monuments under the number A-287, dated 21 September 1984.

Up to 200 tombstones have been preserved in the cemetery. During the field inspection carried out in 2016 by dr hab. Andrzej Trzciński and Paweł Sygowski, it was possible to identify the oldest matzeva at the site. It is placed on the grave of Natanel Kac, son of Avraham, who died on 11 February 1681. Inventory of the preserved tombstones was taken thanks to the involvement of historian Jacek Proszyk. The list of recorded matzevot is available on the website:

http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/kolbuszowa/ulanow/sl_ulanow.htm [accessed: 22 September 2020]. Still in 2016, the cemetery was fenced and cleaned up.

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