MIEDZYRZEC PLACE OF INTEREST Post Office Tish

MIEDZYRZEC PLACE OF INTEREST

Post Office Tish House THE JEWISH CEMETERY Jewish Hospital Fire station Building Jewish High-School GHETTO RYNAK, LUBELSKA STR. Train Station

PL. JANA PAWLA –CITY SQUARE – "RYNEK" ONCE

PL. JANA PAWLA –CITY SQUARE – "RYNEK" ONCE This was the place in which Jewish settlement in Miezritch first started. At the start of the 16 th century, the town landowners agreed to Jewish settlement in the town on condition that the Jews pay high taxes and develop the commerce and trade. Initially, the Jews were permitted to build wooden buildings in the square that served as stores and workshops. Over time the building structures changed many times due to the many fires that happened in the square during hundreds of years. In the 19 th century four impressive stone buildings were built, containing 88 stores that all belonged to the Jews. The place was called "Rad" in Yiddish and looked like a modern mall, that became the commercial center of the city and of the whole region. Construction of the "Rad" commenced in 1866 and continued for several years. In 1940 -41 the Poles and the Germans destroyed the buildings (the "Rad“) and the square became one big area. ( All the trees that one sees today, did not exist then, rathere was one big stone- paved square and a small garden next to the church. ) During the Nazi occupation, the square was used as an assembly for the Jews before they were lead to the train station and deported to Treblinka. All the seven ‘Aktions’ took place here and these were the most tragic of events in the city. Thousands of Jews were murdered here cruelly by the Germans, the Ukrainians and Lithuanians. Many women and infants perished in the most sadistic way here. One can well say that under every stone and tree, blood of our dear ones was spilled. In the arched lane that leads to the square, the brothers Ts'nki were murdered by the Gestapo, after being informed upon by the head of the Judenrat. They were the only ones who successfully escaped Treblinka and told in detail what was happening there. At the house next door to the Sobelman Hotel (the Hotel that served as the Gestapo and the Germans officers dwellings). nine Jews managed to hide out successfully there for a year ad half. The place was and is still very central located , which perhaps was what made it such a successful hide out. No one would have ever imagined that Jews were hiding in the Gestapo dwellings. It is worth pointing out that it was due their own resourcefulness alone that they survived, with no external assistance whatsoever.

The Ghetto (September 1942 - 19 -July 1943) • • The entire area of the Ghetto called Shmolvizina no longer exists. New buildings were built in that area by the Polish people, such that it is impossible to identify traces of the past. Only at numbers 17 and 19 Grabarska street do two original houses from the ghetto exist (there are signs on them stating that they are to be demolished). Despite their dilapidated state they are occupied by Polish people. These houses were built in the middle of the 19 th century. In the ghetto thousands of Jews lived in great congestion. There were only two gates to the Ghetto, that were guarded by the Jewish police. Despite the fact that leaving the Ghetto by Jews was punishable by death, it did not necessarily prove a deterrent. Smuggling of food or looking for ways to be saved was constant and at night people exited and entered through breaks in the fence for this purpose. After each ‘aktion’ the Nazis decreased the area of the Ghetto by destroying houses and thus stole Jewish property.

The great Synagogue ( built in 1761 destroyed 1943 The construction of the synagogue took 170 years. It was a huge structure that catered for 3000 worshipers. Today there is no remnant of the synagogue. The Poles built housing on the land. Only a number of people can point to its exact location. • Due to the size and thickness of the walls of the Synagogue structure, the Germans were compelled to bring in a specialist engineering unit which detonated the structure. From the stones and the red bricks which distinguished the building the Germans laid a path in the forest leading to Z'rotsin, •

THE JEWISH CEMETERY (SINCE 1810) • Not many people know that there was another Jewish cemetery in Mezritch. At the corner of Brzeska and Zarowie streets there are still signs of the first cemetery which was founded with arrival of the first Jews to the city circa 1512 and operated until 1810. Today it is difficult to find the old cemetery Over time it filled and at some point burials moved to the existing cemetery. In the existing cemetery, thousands of MIEDZYRZEC Jews and others who were shot or died during the Nazi occupation are buried in mass graves, but it is impossible to identify the exact position of the graves due to a lack of markers, given that most of all gravestones that existed before the war were taken by the Germans to build streets. The only mass grave with clear signage is that of 179 Jews that were shot in the seventh action (the last one) on the outskirts of Piski and were transferred for burial by the Polish People in 1946. These were the last Jews of MIEDZYRZEC. On the 3 rd of May 1943 the Nazis executed 200 Jews right outside the entrance gate of the cemetery. These Jews were apparently caught after the transit following the fifth aktion had already left for Majdanek and therefore it was more convenient and inexpensive to kill them on the spot. Under strict guard they were lead to the area next to gate of the cemetery. Here under deathblows, women, children and men were ordered in groups of ten to undress and enter the cemetery. Inside the cemetery a giant pit had been dug. After they descended into the pit they were all gunned down by a machine gun. Not one person survived from this group. However there is testimony of a young Polish man who was an eye witness. He told of a boy named Fuga who poured acid on face of one of the Germans involved in the killing. Of course a soon as he threw the acid he was shot. • • •

House of family Tish. in the time of the war, station of Polish Police. (Warszawska koscielna) • During the time of the Nazi occupation, the house served as the Polish police station, prison and place where Jews and also some non Jews were executed. The Jews that were caught smuggling food, or were outside the Ghetto, without a yellow star affixed, or were given up, were brought here. • Every weekend the well known "Shlieger" arrived and executed the Jews in the Courtyard, at times with his own hands. • After the shooting, they would call the "Chevre Kadisha" who would leave with a cart full of corpses from the Koscielna side gate.

LUBELSKA STR. • This was the main street. Before the war, the Jewish people used to walk and meet in this street. On Saturday nights the street barely contained the crowds. Along the street were the exclusive stores and shops. In summer and spring the bridge was the preferred meeting place. Sadly it was down this street that the Jews of MIEDZYRZEC were lead to the railway station on their final journey – to Treblinka. • It was in no. 36 of this street, near the square that my family - the BARG family lived before the war. .

JEWISH High-School (Gymnasium) AT 57 -59 LUBELSKA STR. • During its 21 years of existence the “gymnasium” produced 14 rounds of graduates – approximately 200. The "gymnasium" budget was fully funded by tuition fees and despite its budgetary difficulties, the gymnasium blossomed in the years preceding the war. Today, the place is used as Polish High. School, with no mention whatsoever of its past. • •

Elementary school, establish in 1925 (Warszawska-POWSZECHNA ) – Most of its students were Polish children from the city and the surrounding area. Because of the negative treatment of the Jewish children by the Polish People, very few Jewish people sent their children to Powszechna, despite the tuition being free. – At all the Jews educational institutions, tuition fees were payable. The Polish government did not support the Jewish educational institutions despite the fact that the law called for compulsory education.

The post office establish in 1824 • Even though it was refurbished, the form building did not change since 1824. In the previous century the mail was carried by ‘diligensim’ (carriages with horses) and these would stop by the building loading and unloading mail items.

The fire station Build in 1926 (koscielna 3) • • The building was established through the donation of Jews in the United States who had once lived in MIEDZYRZEC. The building served as a fire station. All the firemen were Jewish and all of them volunteers. With the establishment of the station, modern equipment was brought in, including two fire extinguishing units with modern pumps. Until then, all the fire extinguishing work was done with carriages and horses. It is worth pointing out that the city suffered many fires over time. In the upper floors were theater hall and rooms that served the firemen’s band – made up of wind instruments. Vibrant Jewish cultural life took place in this building: plays, presentations, concerts, different clubs , lectures and more. .

THE JEWISH HOSPITAL IN BRZESKA • • • The Jewish hospital was refurbished in 1929 through financial assistance from Jews in the United States. The hospital served Jews as well as Poles. During the 1 st aktion on the 25 th of August 1942, all the sick Jews were shot in their beds by the "Shliger" and his friends. Today there is no mention in any place of the Jewish past of the hospital.

TRAIN STATION • • The structure of the train station remains unchanged, since the construction of the station in the middle of the 19 th century. Today a new neighboring building serves the passengers. Here, the Jews of MIEDZYRZEC were taken from their town and families, and sent like cattle in sealed train carriages to Treblinka and Majdanek. This station was witness to the suffering of people being lead to their death who were loaded onto the train carriages like animals. Much Jewish blood was spilled here. .

• • IN MEMORY OF MY FAMILY: My father SENDER BARG born in MIEDZYRZEC, who passed away in ISRAEL as a free man. My grandparents: BLUMA and MOSHE BARG My aunt SHEINA and her husband MORDECHAI SHTERN and their 2 children My aunt GITTEL and her husband MORDECHAI RIBAK and their 2 -3 children. … and all the family exterminated after September 1941. My Aunt CHAYA SARA and Uncle SAM RADMAN born in MIEDZYRZEC, who passed away in the USA as free people. My Uncle ISRAEL BARG born in MIEDZYRZEC, who passed away in ISRAEL as free people. • REMEMBER! • REMEMBER MIEDZYRZEC's Jewish population - exterminated during the World War 2. REMEMBER all those who left MIEDZYRZEC before the Holocaust and passed away as free people. In honor of those who lived to tell us the stories and the facts about MIEDZYRZEC, "Little America“ in Poland, city of 19, 000 Jews before the war and none today. • •

Edited by: Oded Bar ( Barg ) 2 ND Generation of MIEDZYRZEC survivor. March 2007. (oded_bar@bezeqint. net) Thanks to: Avrham Gafni for the information, the book and documents giving by him. Translate from Hebrew: Mimi Kind