Jewish Cemetery, Krynki

The Jewish Cemetery in Krynki lies on the town’s north-eastern edge, at Zaułek Zagumienny Street. It is a closed cemetery and an important Jewish heritage site in the Podlaskie region. Its surviving matzevot and historic layout tell the story of Krynki’s Jewish community.

History and layout

The cemetery was most likely established in the 17th century. In 1639, Krynki’s Jews received a privilege allowing them to establish a cemetery; King John II Casimir confirmed these rights in 1662. The grounds later expanded and were divided into an older southern section and newer northern plots. The cemetery covers about 2.5 hectares and is listed as A-115.

Matzevot and Holocaust memory

A 1988 survey recorded more than 3,000 gravestones, but many have since been damaged or removed. The surviving stones date mainly from the 18th to the 20th century and stand in both the loose older section and the regular rows of the newer sector. During the German occupation, victims of executions and the ghetto were buried here; some matzevot were taken for building material. Unmarked mass graves remain on the site.

How to prepare for a visit

This is not a museum: there is no ticket office, exhibition or published visiting schedule. Parts of the old masonry wall are damaged, and an ESJF survey notes that the site becomes densely overgrown and difficult to access in summer. Wear sturdy shoes, keep quiet and do not touch the matzevot; treat the site as a cemetery and place of remembrance. Combine it with Krynki’s historic town layout and the former synagogue on Piłsudskiego Street.