Jews in Mysłowice (Myslowitz)

Some information about the history of town

• 1625 [August 25] - Catholic priest, Jan Olszowski of Mysłowice, states that he received the tithe sheaves of peasants from the village of Brzezinka, Brzęczkowice and Dziećkowice located in the Mysłowice country¹.
• 1630 [June 5] - scholastic Andrzej Szyszkowski from Kraków confirms receipt of the tithe from Brzęczkowice, Brzezinka and Dziećkowice².

Footnotes:

¹ Bernard Szczech, Dokument Górnośląski 1601-1629 ze zbiorów byłego Archiwum Miejskiego w Bytomiu, wyd. Muzeum Miejskie w Zabrzu, Zabrze 1996, p. 45.

² Idem, Dokument Górnośląski 1627-1630 ze zbiorów byłego Archiwum Miejskiego w Bytomiu, wyd. Muzeum Miejskie w Zabrzu, Zabrze 1996, p. 16.

First Cemetery

Sources:

• Contract with Jews, 1714.

Second Cemetery

It was a second Jewish cemetery in Myslowice founded in 1864 on Stawowa 27 Street (nowadays). There are some names on gravestones: Staub, Simmonauer, Wachsner, Fleischer and Fröhlich. The first cemetery (founded in about 1700) was on right-hand side of Stawowa Street (nowadays) but today there is not a stone left standing.

The Cemetery in 2009

The Cemetery in 2014

Cemetery Renewal in 2013 [1], [2]

Extract from the Land and Mortgage Register [1], [2]

Jacob Lustig's gravestone discovered!

Loebel Danziger's gravestone discovered! [1], [2]

First Synagogue

This was one of the first synagogue in the city founded in 1826, located on Mieroszewskich Plazt (historical street: Synagogengasse). The building was sold to catholics in 1927 and now there is Katolicki Dom Ludowy over there (a kind of catholic organisation).

Second Synagogue

Built between 1895-1899 on Wilhelmsplatz (Plac Wolności today), burn on September 1939 by German nazists. Behind the synagogue there was the rabbi's house and an orchard. After blowing up synagogue, some residents began to plunder Jewish residues.

On the archival postcard:

This place today (Municipal Office):

Backdoor:

The Synagogue in Brzezinka

The synagogue was built in the second half of the 19th century, and served its purpose until 1922. Nowadays, the building is located at Starowiejska 2 Street (GPS: N 50.205401°, E 19.157683°):

The Fürstengrube Subcamp

The subcamp (Das Konzentrationslager Fürstengrube) was organized in the summer of 1943 at the Fürsten Coalmine ("The Lenin Coalmine" after the War) in Wesoła, district of Myslowice (Myslowitz). Jews, Poles, Russians and some Germans worked hard here (about 1200 persons, 90% were Jews). Prisoners who were no longer able to work were moved to the Birkenau Camp and were murdered. On January 27, 1945, nazists killed most of the remaining prisoners (some burned to death when the SS set their barracks on fire). Currently, on this area are machinery and equipment owned by the Wesoła Coalmine.

The site plan:

Download map of Fürstengrube Subcamp in KML format

The entry into the plant, beside Piastów Śląskich Street (nowadays), near the railroad tracks (GPS: N 50.17738°, E 19.11040°, 203m a.s.l.):

Cross commemorating the murdered Catholics. Unfortunately, there are no Jewish symbols and no memorial inscriptions:

There is the authentic camp wall beside:

Remains of a watchtower:

"Sam Pivnik - a survivor of the Camp" (article in Polish)

Aleksander Bukko, "Z czyjego rozkazu?" (article in Polish)