Jewish Cemetery in Żarki

The Jewish cemetery in Żarki, also known as the cemetery on Kierków Hill, lies on Polna Street in the north-western part of town. It was founded in 1821 as the third Jewish necropolis in Żarki. Covering about 1.5 hectares, it is one of the largest surviving Jewish cemeteries in the Kraków-Częstochowa Jura. Its matzevot reveal the scale of the former Jewish community and the variety of Jewish funerary art.

Matzevot and unusual symbolism

More than 700 matzevot survive, and the oldest identified tombstone dates from 1835. Sandstone, limestone, marble, granite and concrete were used. Look for Hebrew and Polish inscriptions, dates written in Arabic numerals and rare decorative motifs. Tombstones shaped as sarcophagi or box tombs are particularly unusual in Silesian and Jura cemeteries.

The Jewish heritage trail

The cemetery is part of Żarki’s Jewish Heritage Trail. The town also preserves sites connected with the former Jewish quarter, the synagogue and the old cemetery on Górki Street, where a lapidarium includes a fragment of a 1739 matzeva. This makes the cemetery a useful starting point for a walk through the history of the entire shtetl rather than an isolated stop.

Practical information

The Polna Street cemetery is generally accessible, but the grounds are unfenced and uneven in places. Check the path and local information before entering. Keep quiet, do not touch the matzevot and never step onto graves. Combine the visit with Żarki market square, the Eagles’ Nests Trail and other Jura attractions.