Over a thousand years of Wrocław’s history includes the time when there were five cemeteries of the Jewish community. Two have remained to this day. One of them serves today as a museum, the other is still being used by the Wrocław Mosaic community.
At the time of their establishment, the Jewish cemeteries in Wrocław were located outside the city walls or – as in the case of 19th-century necropolises – in areas belonging to housing estates near Wrocław. The history of these necropolises reflects the complicated history of the Wrocław Jewish community.
You can find out more about the history of the cemeteries of the Wrocław Jewish community HERE.
Currently, there are two Jewish cemeteries, and each of them serves a different function
OLD JEWISH CEMETERY – MUSEUM OF CEMETERY ART
The former Jüdischer Friedhof an der Lohestrasse, that is, the Jewish cemetery by today’s Ślężna Street – commonly called the Old Jewish Cemetery (as opposed to the New Jewish Cemetery by Lotnicza Street) – is a necropolis with burials ranging from 1856 to 1942. In 1988, after completing the necessary securing works and restoring selected examples of grave architecture, the cemetery – the only 19th-century one among those preserved and not transformed into a new burial field – was opened to the public. Today, it is the Museum of Cemetery Art, which is a branch of the Wrocław City Museum. About 12,000 tombstones have been preserved within the necropolis, and presented at the main gate are the relics from the oldest Jewish cemetery in Wrocław (now non-existent).
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You can visit the cemetery by yourself or with a guide. Warning! The Museum of Cemetery Art is not adapted to be visited by people with mobility disabilities. Classes and workshops are organised for children and youth. Details are provided on the website of the Cemetery Art Museum.
ADDRESS AND CONTACT DETAILS
Museum of Cemetery Art
Old Jewish Cemetery
ul. Ślężna 37/39
50-301 Wrocław
tel. +48 71 791 59 04
e-mail: cmentarz@mmw.pl
muzeum.miejskie.wroclaw.pl/museum/sztuki-cmentarnej/
OPENING HOURS
April-October, open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
November-March, open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.