History of Jews from Brzesko and vicinity

It is difficult to determine the time when Jews first settled in Brzesko (Jews called the city Briegel, בריגל). Most probably, they were not here until the end of the fifteenth century, but they certainly lived in the city in the eighteenth century.

01 Sukkahs in Brzesko tenement houses

Some years back I used to think that there were hardly any material traces of Jewish presence left in Brzesko. However, over time, it turned out that in addition to the new Jewish cemetery on Czarnowiejska Street, the synagogue and...

02 Moshe Gross, doctor in the Brzesko ghetto

On November 22, 1940, the Jewish Council in Brzesko published an announcement about the search for a doctor in the "Gazeta Żydowska" ("Jewish newspaper"). Announcement in the "Jewish newspaper" about the search for a doctor for the Jewish community in...

03 The beginnings of the history of Jews in Brzesko

This small article dedicated to the beginning of Jewish settlement in Brzesko, was written on the basis of 2 sources: (1) the book "Brzesko. The History of the Town and the Region" (in Polish, "Brzesko. Dzieje miasta i regionu"), a...

04 Deposit found in the Brzesko tenement house (3)

The deposit was found in the attic of the tenement house on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the extermination of Brzesko Jews. At first, we thought that maybe we would be able to learn who these books belonged...

05 Deposit found in the Brzesko tenement house (2)

History of the tenement house #56 and its residents In 1847, there was either nothing or a small wooden house on the site of the present one-story tenement house. Back then, there was no Długa street, and instead of Chopina...

06 Deposit found in the Brzesko tenement house (1)

Rescued find Although Jews constituted two-thirds of the pre-war Brzesko residents, there remain very few traces of their presence in the town: tombstones at the Jewish cemetery at Czarnowiejska street, the buildings of the synagogue and the mikveh (ritual bathhouse)...

07 Jewish hospital in the Brzesko ghetto

Just a few days after the start of World War II, the Germans entered Brzesko. In the fall of 1939, persecution of Jews began, and in the spring of 1941 there was established a ghetto, which remained open for about...

08 Residents of the street around Żwirki i Wigury square on the photos by Schaje Weiss

Some time ago we received several new photos from prof. Charles Weiss Jr. These pictures were also taken by his father, Schaje (Charles) Weiss, during his short stay in Brzesko in 1929. Thanks to these photos it was possible to...

09 Jewish community of Borzęcin, 1817-1942

By Lucjan Kołodziejski. Today, there are no Jews in Borzęcin. Only empty houses remained, full of new people. These houses are the last witnesses of their presence. Holocaust meant extermination of Jews and their culture also in Borzęcin. Few...

010 Jewish members of Brzesko City Council, 1927

Poles and Jews lived in Brzesko together for several hundred years. Already in 1837, Jews constituted two-thirds of the city's population (734 Catholics vs 1,452 Israelites), and such proportions remained until 1912 (1108/2743). later the relative number of Jews began...

011 Short history of Brzesko Jews

Based on the book „Jewish cemetery in Brzesko” by Iwona Zawidzka, Brzesko, 2001; used with permission from the author and the publishing house It is difficult to determine the time when Jews first settled in Brzesko (Jews called the city...