In 1785, Joachim Marek from Złotów (a locality incorporated to the Kingdom of Prussia after the First Partition of Poland) made the first attempt to settle in Zalewo, seeking a royal permit to reside in the town from King Frederick II. The merchant assured the monarch of his good financial standing (he estimated his wealth at 11,000 thalers) and provided proof of participation in most fairs in Prussia. In return for the permit, he offered to supply all local clothiers with his goods (he included detailed calculations of the profits of the craftsmen of Zalewo). He also undertook to pay a 5% tax on his income to the Zalewo municipal treasury. The authorities declined Marek’s request, probably considering it too bold and innovative and fearing that the Jewish merchant’s presence in the town would disrupt the existing local economic relations.

Zalewo only gained its first Jewish residents after the adoption of legal changes allowing for permanent settlement of Jews in Prussia. The first recorded Jew living in the town was merchant Nathan Joseph Fürst from Krajenka in Złotów Land (he is mentioned in a document from 1813). In 1816, he was joined by another merchant, Hirsch Rammerstein. Three years later, the only restaurant in the town was bought by Aron Lechmenn, despite the complaint issued by the Municipal Council (dismissed by the royal administration). The developing Jewish community was never particularly big (in its peak, it comprised 80 people, or less than 3% of the total population of Zalewo), but it had some very enterprising representatives. Merchant Josif Saul Rosenbach settled in Zalewo in 1822 and mere seven years later, he purchased a plot of land for the purpose of establishing a religious cemetery. A year later still, he bought a parcel in the erstwhile Gäfengnisgasse alley, on which Zalewo’s first house of prayer was built ca. 1838. The local Jews were quickly assimilating into the Christian population, which was evidenced by the fact that a certain Rosenbach was elected to the Municipal Council in 1840. Thanks to the financial support of merchants Eisenbach and Laserstein, the local house of prayer was converted into a synagogue in 1844. It was situated next to the Evangelical church, in the street later known as Kirchenstraße.

The 1844 amendments to Prussian legislation made it possible for the Jews of Zalewo to establish an official religious community with the royal consent from King of Prussia Frederick William IV. The statute of the community drawn up in 1859 provided for the obligation to maintain a synagogue, a cemetery, a mikveh, and a school. According to the information contained therein, a synagogue and a cemetery already existed in Zalewo at that point. It is likely that a mikveh was also founded before the formation of the kehilla – its building was put up for sale in 1895. The local Jews were mainly involved in trade. Samuel Silbermann, for example, owned a large shop in the Market Square for many years, selling linen textiles, clothing, haberdashery, and glassware.

The end of the 19th century marked the beginning of gradual Jewish exodus from the town – by 1932, only 44 Jews were left in Zalewo (1.5% of all inhabitants). At the time, the local community was headed by Dr Ludwig Michaelis and had quite a substantial budget. Its properties included the synagogue at Kirchenstraße, a cemetery, and a ritual slaughterhouse. Religion classes were organised for local Jewish children.

After the Nazi rise to power in Germany, the persecutions of the Jews of Zalewo intensified. The surge of anti-Semitic sentiments culminated in 1938 with Kristallnacht. The synagogue was set on fire, with the local NSDAP leadership preventing firemen from extinguishing the flames. The ruins of the synagogue were demolished soon afterwards. The last 16 Jewish citizens of the town, including the rabbi, were arrested by the local NSDAP unit. Its leader then reported to the gauleiter in Königsberg: “Zalewo is free of Jews.” Many Jews of Zalewo sought to escape persecutions by migrating to other cities, mainly to Berlin, or abroad, including the Netherlands. Lists of Holocaust victims include 12 names of people associated with Zalewo. Most of them died in the Theresienstadt ghetto and the camp in Auschwitz.

The former Jewish necropolis is situated in the northern part of Zalewo, in Sienkiewicza Street near the Zalewka River. In 1829, merchant Josif Saul Rosenbach bought a plot of land from master blacksmith Polenkowski for 15 thalers in order to establish a religious cemetery. The plot covered 0.6 Prussian morgens (ca. 1,500 square meters) and was located by the road leading to Pasłęk. The last recorded burial at the site took place in the late 1930s. The remains of the cemetery, devastated after World War II, were entered into the register of monuments in 1992. In 2015, its premises were cleaned up and fenced thanks the efforts of the local “Social Bond” Association (Polish: Stowarzyszenie „Więź Społeczna”), supported by the Stefan Batory Foundation and European Union grants. An inventory of the surviving graves was also taken at the time.

The Description

Nowadays, the necropolis covers an area of 0.041142 ha. A total of 44 graves has been identified on the fenced premises, with the oldest dating back to 1850 (the grave of the founder of the cemetery). Only 14 sandstone matzevot have survived in the necropolis. They are  adorned with decorations typical for Jewish sepulchral art of the second half of the 19th century and bear inscriptions in Hebrew and German. Former devastation notwithstanding, the cemetery is generally well-preserved.

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