WINSKO: dolnośląskie - International Jewish Cemetery Project

WINSKO: dolnośląskie
Alternate names: Wińsko [Pol], Winzig [Ger], Winiec. 51°28' N, 16°38' E , 31 miles NW of
Wrocław (Breslau), 27 miles S of Leszno (Lissa).
Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego
(1880-1902), XIII, p. 563: "Winzig".
Gmina Wińsko is a rural administrative district in Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship in
SW Poland with its seat in the village of Wińsko, 14 km (9 mi) north of Wołów and 48 km (30 mi)
NW of the regional capital Wrocław. Prior to 1945, Winsko (Winzig) was in Germany. The
gmina 2006 total population was 8,658. The gmina contains the villages of Aleksandrowice,
Baszyn, Białawy Małe, Białawy Wielkie, Białków, Boraszyce Małe, Boraszyce Wielkie, Brzózka,
Budków, Buszkowice Małe, Chwałkowice, Czaplice, Dąbie, Domanice, Głębowice, Gołaszów,
Gryżyce, Grzeszyn, Iwno, Jakubikowice, Kleszczowice, Konary, Kozowo, Krzelów, Łazy,
Małowice, Młoty, Moczydlnica Klasztorna, Morzyna, Mysłoszów, Naroków, Orzeszków,
Piskorzyna, Przyborów, Rajczyn, Rogów Wołowski, Rogówek, Rudawa, Słup, Smogorzów
Wielki, Smogorzówek, Staszowice, Stryjno, Trzcinica Wołowska, Turzany, Węglewo, Węgrzce,
Wińsko, Wrzeszów and Wyszęcice. [July 2009]
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The Jewish population in Wińsku was small and began in the early 19th century, peaking in the
1871 with 68 Jews, in 1880-58, 1903-21, and in 1937 only 13. From the beginning, they held
services at the inn called "Under the Black Eagle" ("Schwarzen Adler") and later in rented
rooms of different homes. In 1832 they obtained new equipment and a torah and decided to
build a synagogue at then Junkerstrasse 51 designed by architect Lüdecke Wrocławski and
master mason Wolfsdorffowi Cieslielski Logisch. On September 18, 1862, Rabbi legnicki
Landberg and Cantor Schisser consecrated the building. In 1919, the synagogue was
connected to gas lighting. The kahal sold it in 1938 when no Jews remained in the village. [July
2009]
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WINSKO: dolnośląskie
CEMETERY: According to a decree of 1814, the Jewish population had to establish their own
cemetery over 1 mile from habitations. Three Jewish families living there purchased the land for
the future cemetery in 1827: Markus Löbel Sachs, Abraham Kanter and Jonas Arnstein. A year
later, they opened the cemetery and in two year built a wooden fence soon replaced by a stone
wall and in 1883 a brick wall. In 1844, the Jewish community requested permission to establish
a new cemetery because the land was wet. The authorities rejected the request. In 1904, they
purchased a hearse. By 1914, about sixty people were buried there. Today, a deteriorating brick
wall with no gate surrounds the 0.07-hectare cemetery. Concentrated in the center, about thirty
gravestones include a very beautiful huge oak tree trunk gravestone. Most date from the second
half of the 19th century. Many are damaged, but most mostly bilingual - German-Hebrew
inscriptions survived. Video. The cemetery was founded in 1827 surrounded by brick wall.
Fallen gravestones and opened tombs are visible.
Video made in 2000. Photos
http://www.kirkuty.xip.pl/winsko.htm
[July 2009]
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