Landmarks

Jewish Cemetery in Tarnów

The Jewish Cemetery in Tarnów is a protected cemetery on Szpitalna Street and one of the city’s most important records of centuries of Jewish life. Around 3,000 tombstones survive on an area of about 3.2 hectares; the oldest matzeva dates from 1667. This is a historical and memorial site: behind the gate there is also a mass grave of around 25,000 victims of the Tarnów ghetto.

Matzevot, wall and bimah

The cemetery was probably established in the late 16th century. During the Second World War many matzevot and parts of the wall were destroyed; after the war, survivors began recovering and organising the stones. Restoration has continued since 1988, including work on the wall, paths, selected tombstones and the broken-column monument made from ruins of the New Synagogue. The nearby bimah is another key symbol of Jewish Tarnów.

A place of memory

The most important memorial point is the grave of people murdered during the liquidation of the Tarnów ghetto. Read the inscriptions and use the available interpretation rather than treating the cemetery as an ordinary photo stop. The visit combines well with the Jewish Tarnów trail, the market square and the bimah.

Practical information

Check the current entry rules before visiting. Official information describes access during selected hours and the possibility of collecting a key or card at a local contact point; visits are prohibited on Saturdays for Shabbat, and the cemetery may close on Jewish holidays. Men should wear a head covering. Keep quiet and never step onto graves.