THE GUIDEBOOK TO THE JEWISH CEMETERY OF OŚWIĘCIM/AUSCHWITZ
Maciek Zabierowski
The Jewish Museum in Oświęcim has just published a book about the local Jewish cemetery which offers a glimpse into its history and current condition.
The book is divided into four sections, each shedding light onto different aspects of the beit kvarot in the town of Oświęcim. In ‘History’, the museum’s chief curator Dr. Artur Szyndler elaborates on the origins of the current cemetery as well as its development, destruction during the Holocaust and postwar renovation projects by a handful of survivors and private organizations. The ‘People’ section features notable members of the community buried at the cemetery. In ‘Symbols’, readers can explore both the rich and diverse symbols carved on the tombstones in Oświęcim as well as educate themselves about Jewish burial traditions in this part of Polish lands across centuries. The ‘Nature’ part talks about the unique biodiversity of the cemetery: the fauna, including birds, and the trees and plants at the site. All texts are illustrated with high quality photographs of the space, the tombstones and their details. The book is available in Polish and English at Cafe Bergson.
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