Historic Jewish Sites in Romania, Picture Appendix (original) (raw)
Related papers
JEWISH CEMETERIES OF ROMANIA: ALBA IULIA CASE STUDY
Daniel Dumitran and Marius Rotar, eds., Places of Memory. Cemeteries and Funerary Practices throughout the Time, , 2015
Presented as a documentary 1 at the recent conference dedicated to Jewish cemeteries of Europe, European Jewish Cemeteries: Theory, Policy, Management and Dissemination (Vilnius, 25-28 October 2015), the two years' worth of research into the Jewish cemetery of Alba Iulia (2014-2015) was not properly reflected in the conference debates. 2 Nevertheless, the topics approached by some of the panels of this scientific reunion in the Lithuanian capital (restauration, conservation and documenting of cemeteries; heritage value of Jewish cemeteries; the use of new investigation technologies; and the perspective of landscape architecture on the restauration of cemeteries) are indeed relevant to the mentioned Romanian activity. Probably the lack of even the most modest tradition of action in this direction could explain the conference organisers' decision. Besides, there have been very few Romanian initiatives of the kind that we could recall: the statistical assessment of the Transylvanian cemeteries and synagogues, 3 the catalogue of monuments from the medieval cemetery in Siret 4 and the more complex research dedicated to the A first version of this text entitled " Argument about the Jewish Cemetery of Alba Iulia " was included among the contributions which accompanied the agenda of the below mentioned conference (footnote 2), without quoting the name of the author or translator.
Metropolitan Jewish Cemeteries from the Baltic to the Balkans -historical study in situ
Зборник Матице српске за ликовне уметности 47, 2019
In contrast to the Christian burial tradition, according to which the care of the cemetery disappears with the termination of the care of the family about the graves of their loved ones, the tradition and religious practice of the Halachah make the burial places of the Jewish last forever. Although the time-decay, the turbulent historical turmoil and the social climate of the last century left a visible trace on the appearance of Jewish cemeteries in Central and Eastern Europe, they have survived, integrally or partially. Thanks to the "religious laws that (at least theoretically) contribute to the preservation of Jewish graves and cemeteries in an efficient way", they still testify to the existence, place and role of the Jewish community in the European society of the 19 th and 20 th centuries. In order to preserve, "read" and interpret this group of monuments, a systematic survey of representative Jewish cemeteries in 13 European countries was conducted under the auspices of the National Committee ICOMOS Germany in the past few years. The results of this complex project were presented to the public in the form of the magisterial new book of Rudolf Klein's academic opus-Metropolitan Jewish Cemeteries of the 19 th and 20 th Century in Central and Eastern Europe-A Comparative Study, published by the National Committee ICOMOS Germany in 2018. In the focus of the research were 21 cemetery sites which differ in the time of their establishment, urban micro and macro location, topography, morphology, typology of gravestones, landscape design, authenticity, as well as its cultural, historical and artistic importance within the Jewish history and a wider, European context. Based on the conducted on-site research, the author points to the diversity of Jewish burial culture in various European regions, as a consequence of extensive changes within Judaism and the emancipation of Jews in the secular Europe of the 19 th century. As the author points out, "the art of Jewish graves reveals the dual nature of Jewish life in the diaspora: fidelity to Jewish heritage and openness to external influences, … and the fine nuances could be read only in the widest cultural and artistic context of place and time." As a consequence, Jewish funerary art and culture, as well as the Jewish cemeteries as its immediate expression, could be read on two levels: as a source of knowledge about the Jewish community in some of the European regions-"about its specifics, aspirations and religious orientation" on the one hand, and as a source of knowledge about "the wider milieu it belonged to, including local gentile traditions and Jewish-gentile dialogue."
Mare Ponticum, 2020
The Holocaust in the post-communist memory discourse in Romania: the case of the monuments and memorial sites to the victims of the Iasi pogrom of June 1941 1 Abstract The current paper focuses on the monuments which commemorate the victims of the pogrom in Iaşi between the 29 th of June and the 1 st of July 1941. More specifically, monuments and museums mark several parts of the city as memory places of the killings of thousands of Jews by the Romanian and the German authorities in Iaşi. In the last few years the commemoration of this inconvenient traumatic past has been one of the aims of both academic research and public debate. The major differences between the communist memory discourse which blamed mainly the German authorities for the massacre and the post-communist discourse which points out the responsibilities of the Antonescu's regime and its collaboration with the German officials, reflect, of course, different politics of memory and history. Taking into serious consideration both the transnational character of the Holocaust and the specificities of the Romanian Holocaust and the city of Iaşi, we shall deal with the way in which the memory places 'interact' with the academic narratives and the public discourse (cinema, media, literature etc) and become a part of a broader post-communist memory discourse in Romania. This post-communist memory discourse in Romania condemns the atrocities of Ion Antonescu's regime, rejects the communist politics of memory concerning tragic and traumatic events and promotes the image of Romania as a European and multicultural society ready to come to terms with its recent traumatic past.
New data on the history of Jews from Romania
The present paper brings new information about the situation of Jews of Romania in the time of Holocaust and its aftermath (the years of transition to communism and the first years after the setting of communism). It appears that the Jews from Transnistria were deprived by their fundamental rights under the leadership of Ion Antonescu and many of them were killed in their interaction with Romanian military forces. After the war, the surviving Jews have the right to adjust to the communist regime, and to integrate in the communist state, but they have to close their organizations and the ties with Israel were considered as dangerous, although they continued to dream and search ways for emigration.
The State of Archaeological Research on Jewish Cemeteries in Central Europe. A New Approach.
Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae, 2023
Using various sources this paper collects information about archaeological research performed up to 2023 on Jewish cemeteries in Central European countries: Czechia, Lithuania, and Poland, discussing their nature, scope, methods, and state of post-excavation work. The determinants of fieldwork-religious and cultural factors, socio-political issues, as well as conservation and scientific factors-are indicated. The number of cemeteries in the region and their state of preservation is also described. Furthermore, the paper discusses the usefulness of archaeology for understanding many aspects of the life of Ashkenazi communities in the Middle Ages and modern times.
Caiete ARA, 2021
Despite recent increasing interest in the Ottoman materiality in Romania, local archaeological research continues to ignore its long biography, artificially separating the sites and objects from the present. No less problematic is the fact that heritage policies focus solely on the more "famous" Ottoman monuments built by the elites, while ignoring the "modest" architecture found, for example, in rural areas. In order to redress these shortcomings, this study looks at the long biography (from the Ottoman period up to the present day) of the Muslim cemetery in Lanurile in rural Dobruja (Bărăganu commune, Constanţa County), analysing it in relation to other material elements from the neighbouring village of Bărăganu. Ottoman documents mention these two villages by the names Osman-Facı and Ebeköyü, both being inhabited by Turks and Tatars and both part of the kaza of Mangalia. The two villages were renamed Bărăganu and Lanurile, respectively, after the inclusion of Dobruja in the Romanian state in 1878. Gradually-in particular during the 1970s and, increasingly, after 1990-the inhabitants of these villages (Romanians and Turks/Tatars) began to migrate to nearby towns and cities (Basarabi, Medgidia and Constanţa) or to Turkey (in the case of Turks and Tatars). According to local testimony, this migration occurred simultaneously with the settlement in Bărăganu and Lanurile of many families from the Moldavia region. As a result of this massive depopulation, the Muslim cemeteries are the only remaining material legacy of the villages' Ottoman past. Lanurile cemetery in particular reflects a genealogical depth (through the extensive and dense distribution of funerary monuments), an aspiration to enduring memory (through the monumentality and durability of the funerary stelae) and an image of eternity (through the monotony of the stones planted in the ground). This funerary space is at one and the same time a monument to a disappeared community, a necropolis in the process of becoming an archaeological site and still-functioning cemetery with a long biography. The present study thus seeks to examine the relationships between the materiality of the Ottoman heritage, the material memory of the Turkish and Tatar communities, local commemorative practices, and the social effects of modernity. Rezumat: În ciuda interesului recent crescând pentru materialitatea otomană din România, cercetările arheologice locale continuă să ignore lunga sa biografie, separând artificial siturile și obiectele de prezent. Nu mai puțin problematic este faptul că politicile de patrimoniu se concentrează exclusiv pe monumentele otomane "faimoase" construite de elite, ignorând în schimb arhitectura "modestă" întâlnită, de exemplu, în zonele rurale. Pentru a remedia aceste neajunsuri, acest studiu analizează lunga biografie (din perioada otomană până în prezent) a cimitirului musulman de la Lanurile din Dobrogea rurală (comuna Bărăganu, județul Constanța), analizând-o în raport cu alte elemente materiale din satul vecin Bărăganu. Documentele otomane menționează aceste două sate sub numele de Osman-Facı și Ebeköyü, ambele fiind locuite de turci și tătari și ambele făcând parte din kazaua Mangalia. După includerea Dobrogei în statul român în 1878, cele două sate au fost redenumite Bărăganu și, respectiv, Lanurile. Treptat-în special în anii 1970 și, din ce în ce mai mult, după 1990-locuitorii acestor sate (români și turci/tătari deopotrivă) au început să migreze în orașele din apropiere (Basarabi, Medgidia și Constanța) sau în Turcia (în cazul turcilor și tătarilor). Potrivit mărturiilor locale, această migrație a avut loc simultan cu așezarea în Bărăganu și Lanurile a multor familii din regiunea Moldovei. Ca urmare a acestei depopulări masive, cimitirele musulmane sunt singura moștenire materială rămasă din trecutul otoman al satelor. În special cimitirul de la Lanurile reflectă o adâncime genealogică (prin distribuția extinsă și densă a monumentelor funerare), o aspirație la memoria durabilă (prin monumentalitatea și durabilitatea stelelor funerare) și o imagine a eternității (prin monotonia pietrelor plantate în pământ). Acest spațiu funerar este în același timp un monument al unei comunități dispărute, o necropolă în proces de a deveni un sit arheologic și un cimitir încă funcțional, cu o lungă biografie. Astfel, studiul de față urmărește să examineze relațiile dintre materialitatea patrimoniului otoman, memoria materială a comunităților turcești și tătare, practicile comemorative locale și efectele sociale ale modernității.
Cross-disciplinary conference on European Jewish Cemeteries A cross-disciplinary conference on Jewish cemeteries in Europe, held October 25-28 in Vilnius, Lithuania, gathered some 60 experts from more than a dozen countries and touched on a wide range of topics within the broad framework of theory, policy, management, and dissemination of information. Organized by the Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe and hosted by the Lithuanian Jewish community, the conference was a specialized follow-up to the working seminar on managing Jewish built heritage held in Krakow in April 2013. The conference had three core aims: — To review the achievements since Krakow, including new trends in technology — To explore key issues through a series of roundtable and panel discussions — To encourage future collaboration among participating individuals and organizations, exploring how they can work together, encourage cross-border opportunities and consider further strategic co-operation. Participants also were taken on site visits to half a dozen Jewish cemeteries and sites of mass graves in Vilnius and several other towns: Pabrade, Svencioneliai, and Svencionys. The introductory keynote on today’s needs and challenges was given by Dr. Michael Brocke, Professor of Jewish Studies at the Steinheim Institute in Germany, and a noted scholar on Jewish cemetery preservation, documentation and epigraphy. Specific sessions at the conference focused on: — The Value of a Jewish cemetery (Jewish law; honoring the dead; education; tourism; cultural heritage; art and architecture; historical source through epitaphs and inscriptions; genealogy, etc) — Cemetery restoration — what to do; how to do it; historical perspectives — Ownership and accessibility of information — Different approaches to preservation: fencing; documentation — Jewish cemeteries as part of European and World Heritage (including efforts to get Jewish cemeteries including on UNESCO’s cultural heritage roster — The role of the internet in documentation; dissemination; attracting interest in preservation — Advances in the use of technology — Cemeteries and scholarship — Building stakeholder relationships — among and between owners and other interested parties (Jewish communities; descendants; municipalities; NGOs, etc) There was also a session devoted to the situation of Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania (which are owned by municipalities). The conference concluded with a screening of A Town Called Brzostek, an award-winning film by Simon Target that documents, step by step, the process of restoring and rededicating the ravaged Jewish cemetery in the village of Brzostek, in southeastern Poland, spearheaded by UK scholar Jonathan Webber, whose grandfather came from the town. Webber introduced the film and spoke about the experience. Several key themes emerged from presentations, discussion and what conference participants saw on the ground during site visits. These included: — The difference in general approaches in cemetery care, preservation and management. This was perhaps best illustrated in the contrast between what can be called the “macro” and “micro” approaches. The macro approach is best illustrated by that of the recently created European Jewish Cemetery Project ESJF, funded by private donors and the German government, whose aim, as outlined by its CEO Philip Carmel, is to erect fences around as as many Jewish cemeteries in Europe as possible, but not engage in other clean-up, restoration, documentation or further maintenance. “We are a macro type organization,” he said. “We don’t have attachments … to the inside of a cemetery. We deal with protection and preservation, not renovation and restoration. We think that the fact that we can protect a site from the outside will make it easier for [others] to come in [and work on restoration].” This was in sharp contrast to the “micro” approach as outlined by Jonathan Webber, with the Brzostek project, and by Dr. Michael Lozman, who has spearheaded the restoration of more than a dozen Jewish cemeteries. These approaches emphasize close cooperation and involvement with local people in carrying out and maintaining Jewish cemetery projects: Lozman’s method fences cemeteries, for example, but with low fences aimed at being indicators of boundaries rather than as physical protection. Webber described his approach as “Jewish Cultural diplomacy.” He said: “Don’t just parachute in and fix a cemetery – involve the local people, make them feel that it is their project. I wasn’t aware how much the locals wanted to learn about their own local history of their village. I used a local contractor for the work, for example. And I worked with the priest; I didn’t just just invite him to come to the dedication but to officiate together with me and the chief rabbi to make it a genuinely interfaith affair. I wanted to make an impact on the local people. It was done in a spirit of dialogue – that Jewish heritage today belongs to everyone. We can’t expect people to look after Jewish heritage today unless they feel that it is theirs.” — The need to establish and publish “best practice” guidelines that could serve as models for municipalities, Jewish communities, NGOs and individuals on the ground. A number of participants raised this issue — as did some of the local stakeholders met during site visits. “There is a need for practical but sustainable solutions,” said Martynas Užpelkis, who coordinates Jewish heritage preservation issues for the Lithuanian Jewish community. “There are no standard practices; there is a lack of knowledge. There is a need for seeting standards, or developing and monitoring management plans for each cemetery; for training and counselling. […] Local people who want to help ask basic questions. Can we produce guidelines?” — The value of new technologies in cemetery documentation, research, restoration. These include, as discussed by forensic archaeologist Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls, new non-intrusive techniques such as ground-penetrating radar and other tools that can explore Jewish cemeteries, determine grave sites and boundaries and find other information even when all surface evidence of the cemetery has been destroyed. Other techniques, as demonstrated by Jay Osborn, show ways that digitizing old maps can help find borders. And Prof. Leonard Rutgers discussed new techniques that can aid in reading even very weathered inscriptions. — The need for collaboration on international and interdisciplinary levels on Jewish cemetery work. “We should create a network of people and institutions that take care of cemeteries, to have permanent platform to exchange ideas, and have a common voice,” said Dario DiSegni, the president of the Italian Jewish Heritage Foundation, echoing a number of other participants.
Pasts into Present: Ideology, Memory, and Monuments in Communist and Post- communist Romania
The end of communism in Romania brought the destruction of most communist statues and symbols. This demolition stands for a sort of catharsis of the oppressed society. Moreover, the political/cultural struggles around these monuments played an important role in legitimising the new political order, but also in building new social identities and shared memories. During the transition period, the monumental public space reflected the transformation of the Romanian society. Private and local initiatives joined the public, central program of monument building. The ‘memorial centralism’ was replaced by a plurality of collective memories, and the monumental program followed this trend. Therefore, crosses, busts, and other type of monuments were built to celebrate events and / or personalities of local, regional, and national importance and to honour the victims of Holocaust or / and communist persecutions.