Miroslavas Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Lithuania
Region
Alytus County
District
Alytus
Settlement
Miroslavas
Site address
The cemetery is located in a field at the south-eastern part of the village, 550 metres south of the intersection of K. Berulio Street and highway 1109.
GPS coordinates
54.326920, 23.906073
Perimeter length
350 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
Surrounded by metal mesh fence 1 meter high.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery is somewhat overgrown with tall grass. Many fragments of matzevot are scattered around the site. Clearance is required.
Number of existing gravestones
around 70
Date of oldest tombstone
late 19th century (because of erosion, the inscriptions are barely legible; they should be cleaned for exact dating).
Date of newest tombstone
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Property of local community
Preserved construction on site
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. It was most likely founded in the late 19th century.

Jews began to settle in Miroslavas (Pl. Mirosław, Yid. מיראָסלאַוו) in the early 19th century. The synagogue was built in 1896. In 1897, there were 485 Jews in the town. During WWI, the Jews of Miroslavas were exiled to Central Russia by the retreating Russian army, not all of them returned. The interwar period witnessed a large Jewish emigration to Palestine and the US. Only about 20 families remained in 1940. Soon after the German invasion in 1941, all of the Miroslavas Jews were murdered in a nearby forest, as well as the Jews from Alytus and other neighbouring towns. A memorial marks the remembrance site.

3D model