Wrought iron gates and related parts from the Jewish cemetery in Tarnow, Poland
Extent and Medium
a: Height: 100.250 inches (254.635 cm) | Width: 107.000 inches (271.78 cm) | Depth: 3.875 inches (9.843 cm)
b: Height: 11.500 inches (29.21 cm) | Width: 2.750 inches (6.985 cm) | Depth: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm)
c: Height: 11.625 inches (29.528 cm) | Width: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Depth: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm)
d: Height: 11.625 inches (29.528 cm) | Width: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm) | Depth: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm)
e: Height: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Width: 8.125 inches (20.638 cm) | Depth: 4.000 inches (10.16 cm)
f: Height: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm) | Width: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Depth: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm)
g: Height: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Width: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm) | Depth: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm)
h: Height: 1.125 inches (2.858 cm) | Width: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Depth: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm)
i: Height: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm) | Width: 2.750 inches (6.985 cm) | Depth: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)
j: Width: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Depth: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm)
k: Width: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm) | Depth: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm)
l: Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm)
m: Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 3.625 inches (9.208 cm)
n: Width: 1.000 inches (2.54 cm) | Depth: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm)
o: Height: 2.125 inches (5.398 cm) | Diameter: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
p: Height: 2.375 inches (6.033 cm) | Width: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm) | Depth: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm)
q: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Depth: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm)
r: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm) | Depth: 3.125 inches (7.938 cm)
s: Width: 1.750 inches (4.445 cm) | Depth: 1.750 inches (4.445 cm)
t: Height: 21.625 inches (54.928 cm) | Width: 53.000 inches (134.62 cm)
Archival History
The gates and parts were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991 by the Kongregacja Wyznania Mojżeszowego Kraków.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Congregation of the Mosaic Faith
Scope and Content
Wrought iron, double gate from the Jewish cemetery in Tarnów, Poland, acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in 1991. Jewish settlement in the city and the cemetery date back to the 16th century and prior to World War II, 25,000 Jews lived in Tarnów. In September 1939, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Germany invaded western Poland while the Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland. On September 7, German forces occupied Tarnów and burned all of the city’s synagogues. German authorities blocked Jewish bank accounts, closed schools, required Jews to display Star of David badges on their clothes and businesses, and register for forced labor. Jews living in the surrounding area and refugees from Krakow were compelled to move into the city, bringing Tarnow’s Jewish population to over 43,000. Random killing of Jews became common and roads and walls were constructed from tombstones taken from the cemetery. An open ghetto was completed by February 1942, and six months later, it was replaced with a closed ghetto. The first large-scale Aktion occurred in June 1942, when 3,000 Jews were shot and buried within the Jewish cemetery, including 20 who were forced to dig mass graves. Following the final liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in September 1943, hundreds of Jews were shot in the market square and streets of the city, and approximately 6,000 were shot in a nearby forest. Additionally, 14,000 were sent to Belzec killing center, and 11,500 were sent to the concentration camps at Auschwitz, Płaszów and Szebnia. From 1988-1990, the cemetery was renovated and the original gate was replaced with a replica commissioned by the USHMM, who received the original as a gift.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
a. Wrought iron, double or bi-parting, swing gate. The top three-quarters have an openwork design while the bottom quarter is covered by a rectangular, solid, sheet of iron. The front of the panels have a wide raised iron framing around the outside edge; a thin, raised, inner iron frame; and a raised Star of David in the center. The top portion of each gate consists of three pairs of evenly spaced vertical iron bars, forming columns, with a single vertical bar on either end forming columns with the outer posts. The three center columns have a diamond design with a small ferrule wrapped around at each corner of the diamonds. In the center of the middle column is a Star of David. The two outer columns feature a zigzag design, with small ferrules at the interior corners. Centered in the gap between each column is a vertical oval, aligned horizontally with the center of the gate and strengthened with a ferrule where each side meets the vertical bar. A pair of fluted horizontal bars forms a frame above and below the columns. Within the frame, above and below each column, are horizontal ovals with ferrules that attach to the vertical bars at each end. Each gate is topped with a pitched iron bar and curled ends that meet at the highest point in the center when the gate is closed. Three U-shaped hinges secure each gate to the outer posts. The right side has a rectangular lock plate in the center of the innermost column. The keyhole cover is rusted into place and the locking mechanism is missing. The entire gate is covered with iron corrosion and patchy remnants of a black paint. The edges of the bottom plates have partially rusted away. The plate on the right side is partially detached, bent forward away from the frame, and is missing some of the interior decorative framing. b. A four-sided bar of iron that forks into a Y-shape at the top, each arm projected outwards at a 45-degree angle. The ends of the arms are broken off, leaving a ragged surface. The bottom end of the bar curves inward and there are two holes that run parallel to the curve. Stuck inside each hole is a threaded bolt that is broken on both ends. There is an accretion of light gray cement in between the arms and on each side of the iron bar. The entire bar is covered in a heavy rust with green and white corrosion. At the bottom, patches of black paint remain on the surfaces. c. A four-sided bar of iron that forks into a Y-shape at the top, each arm projected outwards at a 45-degree angle. The ends of the arms are broken off, leaving a ragged surface. The bottom end of the bar curves inward and there are two holes that run parallel to the curve. There is an accretion of light gray cement in between the arms and on each side of the iron bar. The entire bar is covered in a heavy rust with white corrosion. At the bottom, one side of the bar has a remnant patch of black paint. d. A four-sided bar of iron that forks into a Y-shape at the top, each arm projected outwards at a 45-degree angle. The ends of the arms are broken off, leaving a ragged surface. The bottom end of the bar curves inward and there are two holes that run parallel to the curve. Stuck inside each hole is a threaded bolt that is broken on both ends. There is an accretion of light gray cement in between the arms and on each side of the iron bar. One of the sides has a thick layer of cement with a fragment of orange brick attached; the opposite side has a divot where rust has fallen off. The entire bar is covered in a heavy rust with white corrosion. At the bottom, patches of black paint remain on two of the sides. e. Three U-shaped, iron hinge parts strung together with a twisted piece of metal wire. Each hinge piece is made from a thick, rectangular bar of iron, bent into a U-shape. On one side of each hinge, the bar tapers slightly at the trough of the U and has a rounded edge. Each end of the bar has two holes, spaced an inch apart. A rusted metal wire threads through one hole on each hinge and twists back together upon itself. One of the hinges has a broken bolt stuck in one of the holes. All three hinges and the wire are covered in a heavy rust. Patches of black paint remain on the outside surfaces of the hinges. f. A U-shaped hinge part made from a thick, rectangular bar of iron. On one side of the hinge, the bar tapers slightly at the trough of the U and has a rounded edge. Each end of the bar has two holes, spaced three-quarters of an inch apart. The entire surface of the hinge is covered in a heavy, powdery rust. The outside and edges of the hinge has a coat of black paint, which has flaked off in small patches. g. A U-shaped hinge part made from a thick, rectangular bar of iron. On one side of the hinge, the bar tapers slightly at the trough of the U and has a rounded edge. Each end of the bar has two holes, spaced three-quarters of an inch apart. The entire surface of the hinge is covered in a heavy, powdery rust. There are small bits of concrete adhered to the ends. Small patches of black paint remain on the outside surface of the hinge. h. A U-shaped hinge part made from a thick, rectangular bar of iron. On one side of the hinge, the bar tapers slightly at the trough of the U and has a rounded edge. Each end of the bar has two holes, spaced three-quarters of an inch apart. The entire surface of the hinge is covered in a heavy, powdery rust with white accretions. Patches of black paint remain on the outside surface of the hinge. i. Five thin, irregularly shaped fragments of rusted iron. j. Four thin, irregularly shaped fragments of rusted iron. k. Three large and several small, thin fragments of rusted iron. l. One rectangular fragment of rusted iron m. One rectangular fragment of rusted iron n. One rectangular fragment of rusted iron o. Partial shank of a bolt, broken on both ends with threading along the bottom third. The exterior is covered in heavy rust and the exposed ends are a bright, silver-colored steel. p. Partial fragment of a hex bolt with the head and part of the shank is intact. The bottom third of the shank is threaded. Most of the surface is covered in a powdery rust, with small areas of exposed silver-colored steel. q. A thin hex nut with interior threading. Most of the surface is covered in rust with some of the silver-colored steel exposed on the interior. r. Three fragments of rusted iron in rough rectangular shapes. s. Multiple small fragments of iron rust and a small black mass (possibly paint or slag). t. Rectangular iron replacement panel for the bottom section of the gate (a). The entire panel is coated in a heavy rust with some surface loss. Nail heads, holes, and small masses of iron from old welds remain on the front surface around the perimeter. Additional masses of iron from old welds remain along the top edge. The upper left corner has spots of green corrosion or accretions. The back surface is entirely coated in rust. Along the short edges, the metal has been sheared, creating patches of exposed dark gray metal that is shiny or reflective.
Corporate Bodies
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei. Schutzstaffel
Subjects
- Mass burials--Poland.
- Execution sites--Poland--Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie).
- Jews--Persecutions--Poland--Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie)
- Children--Crimes against--Poland.
- Żydowski Cmentarz w Tarnowie (Tarnów, Województwo Małopolskie, Poland)
- Jewish cemeteries--Poland--Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie)
- Cemeteries--Poland--Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie)
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland--Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie)
- Tarnów (Województwo Małopolskie, Poland)
- Murder--Poland.
- Mass murder--Poland.
- Tarnów, egzystencja i zagłada skupiska żydowskiego.
Genre
- Gates.
- Architectural Elements
- Object