Jewish Cemetery in Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia |
The Jewish cemetery in Banska Stiavnica, an historic town in the center of the Republic of Slovakia, approximately a two and a half hour drive from Bratislava, is a listed UNESCO site. The beautifully appointed site, surrounded by a stone wall, is situated on a prominent hillside. The dome on top of a modest concrete building located near the entrance within the cemetery highlights the site’s location from key vantage points in the town. 228 individuals, now all named and documented, are buried in the cemetery.
The cemetery attracts tourists visiting Banska Stiavnica but, unfortunately, it is in very poor condition. It is overrun with tall grass and weeds. A number of monuments and headstones are broken. The building, Ciduk Hadin - the mortuary, has sustained appreciable damage and a Star of David is missing. No funds have been available for the upkeep of this sacred site.
Prior to World War II, the Jewish community used to comprise a substantial portion of the town’s population and business community. Tragically, the majority of the Jewish inhabitants were sent to concentration camps. Only 15 of 700 Jewish inhabitants returned to the town after the war and most of these immigrated to Israel soon afterwards. The cemetery is almost the only visible evidence in the town of the Jewish community.
An organization has been formed to preserve Banska Stiavnica’s Jewish heritage. Teacher Beath Nemcova heads the project. Also, involved is Katarina Voskova, Arch-Preservationist, faculty of Architecture at Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Education and Scientific Center at Banska Stiavnica. Plans are in place to completely restore and preserve the cemetery, however, the necessary funds to make this project a reality need to be raised.
The estimated cost to completely restore and preserve the cemetery is estimated to be $124,000. The restoration work is planned in stages as funds are collected.
On behalf of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad Commission Member Peter P. Hawryluk is seeking contributions for the project. Donations by U.S. residents qualify for the charitable contribution deduction for federal income tax purposes. The instructions for making donations are at the bottom of this Website.
