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Kežmarok, Slovakia |
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Kežmarok, Slovakia |
On this page:
The following material was adapted, with kind permission, from The Database of Jewish Communities - Beit Hatfutsot - The Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv, Israel.
After the annexation of Austria to Germany in March 1938, there were anti-Semitic manifestations by the German citizens of Kezmarok. A few of the Jews of Kezmarok enlisted in the army of Czechoslovakia, which was deployed along the border with Germany and Austria. In the army barracks at Kezmarok thousands of soldiers were stationed, among them many Jews.
Following the Munich pact of September 1938, the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia was annexed to Germany and the republic broke up. Some 20 Jewish families from the annexed region escaped to Kezmarok. Slovakia declared its autonomy on October 6, 1938. On November 5 the anti-Semitic “Hlinka Guard” expelled some 30 stateless Jewish families to the border with Hungary. The Hungarians refused to accept them and they remained on the border for about two weeks. Finally, the Slovak authorities allowed them to return to Slovakia.
Slovakia became an autonomous state, a satellite of Germany, on March 14, 1939. The following day German students of the local high school attacked Jews and broke windows in the homes and businesses of Jews. The employment of Jewish doctors and lawyers was restricted and gradually the Jews of Slovakia were removed from the social and economic life of the country. A local branch of the "Center for the Jews" provided help to the needy. When World War II broke out (September 1,1939), the community of Kezmarok assisted about 2200 Jewish refugees from Poland to escape to Hungary.
In December 1939 some 30 Jews of Kezmarok succeeded in boarding the "illegal" emigration ship "Confino" and they reached Eretz Israel by way of the Black Sea in the Spring of 1940. Another group of 30 Jews who left in May 1940 on board of the "Pancho" reached the shores of Eretz Israel after many misfortunes, but only in 1944.
In Kezmarok, Jewish men were taken to forced labor and the harassment of Jews intensified. At the end of 1940, 1,185 Jews were registered in the town. In the summer of 1941 all the Jewish businesses were transferred to Slovak "Aryans". A number of Jewish families escaped from Kezmarok to Hungary.
In February 1942 Slovaks, with the help of German youth, confiscated the valuables of Jews. The Jews were ordered to report for registration. On March 29, 1942, young Jewish girls were abducted from their homes and taken to a camp in Poprad. Soon after Passover they were deported by trains to Poland and reached Auschwitz a month later. On April 1, 1942, Jewish men of the ages of 16-45 were taken to the fortress of Tokaj and they too were deported on the following day, via Zilina, to concentration camps in Poland. Attempts to escape to Hungary increased in number. Those who were caught were taken to a camp at Novaky and from there deported to Poland.
Most of the Jews who were still in Kezmarok and the surrounding area (some 800 people) were deported to the region of Lublin in Poland between May 25 and June 5, and some on September 21 (Yom Kippur) and October 2, 1942. Before the deportation, the children, the old, and the weak were shot on the spot and those capable of work were transferred to labor camps. Only Jews who were economically vital and some who managed to hide, remained in Kezmarok.
In the summer of 1944 a revolt against the Fascist regime of Slovakia broke out. Jews of Kezmarok who were still in the area, joined the fighters against the government. The revolt was suppressed by the German SS forces and the Hlinka Guard, who began to hunt down the partisans-- particularly the Jewish partisans. Those who were caught were shot on the spot. In September 1944, some 40 Jews of Kezmarok, among them the Rabbi Simcha Natan GrÜnburg, were caught near the Polish border and were shot. 48 Jews of Kezmarok and its surroundings fought against the Germans in the ranks of the Czech army and the partisans. The Jewish doctor, Eduard Laufer from Nitra, saved Jews and partisans in the guise of a Christian Slovak.
When the war in the region ended, in January 1945, survivors of some 15 Jewish families came out of hiding and, joined by Jews from other places, and revived the life of the Jewish community. Rabbi Meir GrÜnburg, the son of Rabbi S. N. GRÜNBERG, became the Rabbi of the area, which included the communities of Kezmarok and Liptovsky-Mikulas. An attempt was made to rebuild the ruins of the synagogue but the building was finally torn down (under the Communist regime in 1961). A kosher restaurant was opened and a shochet from Kosice came once a week. Rabbi David REISNER served as a Mohel for the entire region.
In 1948 there were 384 Jews in Kezmarok, among them 58 children. Moritz GOLDMAN was the head of the community. In 1949 most of the members of the community went to Israel. Some of them, including Rabbi Meir GRÜNBERG, emigrated to the U.S.A.
In the 1950s there were ten children in the community, who received Jewish education. In the 1970's there were still some Jews in the place and a Christian Slovak looked after the Jewish cemetery. In 1989 the cemetery was found surrounded by a wall, the gate locked and the graves in a proper condition.
The cemetery, being within the confines of the town, managed to remain intact. The designer of this webpage, Madeleine Isenberg, visited there in August 1996, and was able to locate several family tombstones.
In 2004, a general cleanup and restoration took place and the cemetery has been described as being in the best condition of the approximately 700 Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia. It continues to be maintained by Mr. Rudolf Herz, who had Jewish ancestors.
)
Photograph of the Kezmarok Cemetery after Restoration
| In 1921 | 1,650 Jews |
| In 1930 | 1,166 Jews |
| At the end of 1940 | 1,185 Jews were registered |
| In 1948 | 384 Jews (of these, 58 were children) |
| 1950s | there were 10 children in the community, who received Jewish education |
| 1970s | there were still a few Jews; a Christian Slovak looked after the Jewish cemetery. |
| 1 Oct 2002 | Leo KOVACS, the last Jew in Kezmarok died and was buried together in the grave of his grandfather, Leo (Aryeh Leb) HERZ |
This page is in memoriam for the Jews who were former residents of Kezmarok, Slovakia, and were killed during the Holocaust. The Kezmarok Memorial in the Cholon Cemetery, Cholon, Israel, was dedicated on June 25, 1989. For anyone traveling to Israel -- or for those liveing there -- the exact location of the memorial within the cemetery is: Block 15, Area 3, Rows 21/22.
)
Photograph of the Kezmarok Memorial in Cholon, Israel
Below is a transliterated and alphabetized list in English, of the names listed in Hebrew on the Kezmarok Memorial.
At the end of 1940, there were 1,185 Jews living in Kezmarok. On the memorial, the names of at least 673 people are listed. Some additional people are not specifically named, but are lumped together as "children," or "sons," or "daughters," or "families."
Note: The Chief Rabbi of the Kezmarok community, Rabbi Simcha Natan GRÜNBERG, his wife, sons and daughters were killed during the Holocaust. Only son Meir emigrated to New York, USA, and was known there as the “Kezmarker Rav.”
Below is a transliterated list of the names and alphabetized according to English, as listed on the memorial. The memorial itself lists the names according to Hebrew alphabet, with some later additions not according to that order.
According to the plaque on the memorial, the Yahrzeit date (or anniversary) of their martyrdom has been designated as the 31 May 1945 corresponding to
|
20th of Sivan. |
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|
Last name |
First name
|
First name |
Children |
|
Alexander |
Aryeh ben David |
|
|
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Altman |
Aharon |
|
|
|
Altman |
Artur |
Malka |
o Ruth |
|
Altman |
Dov |
Breindel |
o Azriel o Sara o Miriam o Matil o Bluma |
|
Bergman |
|
Rivka |
o Shimon |
|
Bergsman |
Yaakov Raphael |
Chana Braizel |
o Mordechai o Gershon o Shmuel |
|
Berman |
Avraham Yechiel |
Raizel |
o Noah |
|
Berman |
Yaakov Meir |
Golda |
|
|
Bertfeld |
Yosef |
Chana |
o Charlotta o Irvin |
|
Birnbaum |
Pinchas |
wife |
|
|
Birnbaum |
Yochanan |
Rivka |
o Malka |
|
Bitterman |
Ilana |
|
|
|
Bleier |
|
Chana |
o Leah o Olga o Alter |
|
Blumenstock |
Avraham |
Shaindel |
o Olga
o Shimon |
|
Breitkopf |
Yehuda |
|
o Yaakov o Yehoshua o Yosef o Ethel o Rachel o Chaya |
|
Brody |
Avraham |
Devorah |
|
|
Cohen |
Simcha |
Ethel |
o Yaakov o Aidella |
|
Dagan |
|
Ella |
o Natan o Dov o Ida |
|
Dagan |
Eliezer Moshe |
Gittel |
|
|
Deutsch |
Akiva |
Shifra |
o Menachem Zvi |
|
Eichner |
Mordechai Yehuda |
Mindel |
o Tuvia
o Chanah o Grandmother Yanka |
|
Englander |
|
Hasa |
o son |
|
Englander |
Avraham |
Friedel |
o David |
|
Englander |
Avraham |
Yetta |
|
|
Englander |
Avraham |
Chana |
o Gershon |
|
Englander |
Meir |
Gittel |
o Jerko |
|
Englander |
Nechemiah |
Rachel |
o Bella Gittel |
|
Englander |
Yaakov |
Rivka |
o Zuzi |
|
Englander |
Yehoshua |
Raizel |
o Avraham |
|
Englander |
Yitzchak |
Olga |
o Imra |
|
Englander |
Yosef |
Chaya Leah |
|
|
Englehart |
|
Hinda bat Gittel |
|
|
Englehart |
Chaim |
Liebe |
o Shimon o Avigdor |
|
Engleman |
Moshe Yehuda |
Beila |
o Chava Tamril |
|
Farber |
Alexander |
Arzjah |
o Yitzchak o Miriam |
|
Farkas |
Chanoch |
Berta |
o Eta o Chanah |
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Fenster |
Aharon |
Chava |
|
|
Fenster |
Meir |
Esther |
o Gershon |
|
Fenster |
Menachem |
|
o family |
|
Feuer |
David |
Berta |
o children |
|
Feuereisen |
Avigdor |
Wilma |
o Magda o Waldemir |
|
Feuereisen |
BenZion |
Berta |
o 3 children |
|
Feuerwerker |
Ephraim Fischel |
Seren |
o children |
|
Folger |
|
Friedel |
o Children o grandchildren |
|
Forscher |
Avraham Yitzchok |
Breindel |
o Bella o Leah o grandchild Shaindel o grandchild Chaim |
|
Forscher |
Moritz |
Cornelia |
o Cornelia's sister Roza |
|
Frankel |
Shimon |
Gittel |
|
|
Frei |
Shmuel |
Chava |
o children |
|
Fried |
David |
Rachel |
o Shlomo |
|
Friedman |
Shmuel |
Bluma |
o Yisroel o Mordechai o Rivka o Gershon |
|
Friedman |
Yoel |
Sara |
o Esther o Devorah o Marko |
|
Fuchs |
Shlomo |
Regina |
o Raphael o Zvi o families |
|
Gartner |
Gideon |
Rachel |
|
|
Gassner |
Shmuel |
Raizel |
|
|
Gassner |
Yitzchak Aizik |
Roza |
o Shaindel o Tovah o Chana o Shalom o Raizel |
|
Goldman |
|
Yehudit Grosshandler |
|
|
Goldman |
|
Beila |
o Zechariah o Esther |
|
Goldman |
Azriel |
Chana |
o daughters |
|
Goldman |
Ernst |
|
|
|
Goldman |
Leib |
Tzila |
o children |
|
Goldman |
Salomon |
Helen |
o Mattal o Rina o Chana |
|
Goldman |
Shmuel |
Esther Beila |
o Children of Moshe Meir and Riva |
|
Goldman |
Yaakov |
|
o family |
|
Goldman |
Yitzchak |
Rivka |
o Zechariah o Baruch o Mordechai o Yonah o Beila o Chana |
|
Goldman |
Zvi |
Rachel |
o Shimon o Itah o Chava |
|
Goldstein |
Aryeh Leib |
Gittel |
o Leah o Yosef
o Ruth o Raizel |
|
Green |
|
Esther |
o David o Avraham |
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Green |
Max |
Valska |
o Chana o Erno |
|
Green |
Yosef |
|
|
|
Gross |
Natan ben Wolf |
Henya |
o Malka |
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Grossberg |
|
|
o Chaim ben Avraham o Shlomo ben Avraham |
|
Grossberg |
Sh. David |
Golda |
o Esther |
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Grossman |
Lazer |
Ethel |
|
|
Grossman |
Solomon |
Ilona |
o children |
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Grünberg |
Harav Hagaon Simcha Natan Grünberg |
his wife |
o Sons &
daughters |
|
Grünwald |
Eliyahu Ze'ev |
Malka |
o Yitchak Yaakov |
|
Grünwald |
Gustav |
|
|
|
Hammerschlag |
Dov |
Gittel |
o Aidel o Feige o Frist o Tzeitel |
|
Hammerschlag |
Heinrich |
wife |
o children |
|
Hammerschlag |
Yitzchak |
Esther |
o Oscar o Victor |
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Hecht |
Natan |
Frieda |
o Ephraim o Yitzchak o Avraham o Sarah o Chana o Roza |
|
Herbst |
|
Chana |
o Zvi o Yehoshua o Malka o Mindel |
|
Hershkovitz |
Shimon |
|
|
|
Hertz |
Artur |
Marta |
o Lenka o David Shimon |
|
Hochhauser |
Baruch |
Golda |
|
|
Hoenig |
|
Raizel |
|
|
Hoenig |
Yosef Aryeh |
|
|
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Holtzer |
|
Yetti |
o Zvi o Malbin |
|
Holtzer |
Artur |
Frieda |
|
|
Indich |
Reuven |
Mindel Chana |
o Shlomo
o Ruti |
|
Indig |
Eliezer |
Sarah |
o Dov
o Shmuel o Magda o Aryeh |
|
Janovitz |
Dov |
Elka |
o Ella o Wilma |
|
Janovitz |
Leib |
Chana |
o Children |
|
Kahan |
Mendel |
Irene |
o Moshe o Gizi |
|
Kallus |
Avraham Yitzchok |
Hinda |
o Shoshana o Shmuel o Aryeh o Perl o Simcha o Aharon |
|
Katz |
David |
Mittel |
|
|
Katz |
Yitzchak Aizik |
Esther Gittel |
o Rivka o Chaim o Eliezer o Dvorah o Shmuel |
|
Kaufteil |
Moshe |
Kreindel |
o Dr. Leopold Desider o Aranka o families |
|
Keller |
Yechezkel Shraga |
Golda |
o children |
|
Klausenstock |
Artur |
Olga |
o Son |
|
Klein |
Shlomo |
Tzvia |
o Hugo |
|
Klein |
Yosef |
|
|
|
Klein |
Yosef Herschel Zisskind |
Sara |
|
|
Kleinhandler |
Yosef |
Cecilia |
o daughters |
|
Kolber |
Benjamin Zvi |
Rachel Devorah |
o Breindel o Mindel o Chaya o Chaya's husband o their son Yaakov Mordechai |
|
Kummer |
Yehuda |
Miriam Gittel |
|
|
Korngold |
|
Chana |
o Ziesel o Simcha o Yitzcok o Avraham o Yosef o Zvi |
|
Kornhauser |
|
Anna |
o Shmuel |
|
Kornhauser |
Moshe Yehuda |
Ilonka |
o chilren |
|
Kornhauser |
Shlomo Gedalyahu |
|
o family |
|
Kornhauser |
Yehoshua |
|
|
|
Kornhauser |
Zvi Shimon |
Tovah |
o Gedalyahu o Shmuel o Naftali o Simcha o Shlomo o Ilonka o Sarah o Perl |
|
Kovacs |
Yaakov |
|
o Yehudit |
|
Kraus |
Avraham |
Raizel |
o Dov |
|
Kunstlinger |
Yehoshua |
Esther |
o Akiva o Mordechai o Rachel |
|
Lenz |
Aharon |
Wife |
o Alexander o Zusha |
|
Lorber |
Yitzchak |
Bella |
o Mordechai o Aryeh o Natan o Yisroel |
|
Lustgarten |
Yaakov |
Rasha |
|
|
Mangel |
Zelig |
Feige |
|
|
Meller |
Moshe |
Ilona |
o Yaakov o Aharon o Yitzchak o Aryeh |
|
Mendel |
Zvi |
|
|
|
Morgenbesser |
Moshe |
Mary |
o Son |
|
Morgenbesser |
Peppi |
|
o Grandaughter: Tomi |
|
Narcissenfeld |
|
Regina |
|
|
NeugrÖschel |
|
Chana |
o Daniel o Ruth |
|
NeugrÖschel |
Avraham Moshe |
Helen |
o Yitchak o Eliezer |
|
Offenberg |
Moshe |
|
|
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Pahmer |
Mordechai |
Shoshana |
o Avraham o Yaakov Dov |
|
Perlroth |
|
Sara |
o Chana o Hinda |
|
Reich |
|
Rivka |
o Natan Netta |
|
Reich |
Max |
|
o Family |
|
Reich |
Zalman |
|
o Eliahu o Shmuel o Ethel |
|
Reichman |
Shimon |
Rivka |
|
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Riemer
|
Moshe |
Sarah |
o Yaakov o Mordechai o Chaim Leib o Yeshayahu o Metel (Mathild), and her children: Shifra, Bebi, Leah |
|
Riess |
Alexander |
Yolan |
o Zoltan |
|
Ronai |
Mano |
Yetti |
o Margit |
|
Rosenbaum |
Leo |
Devorah |
o Natan o Moshe o Shaul o Bono |
|
Rosenblum |
Yosef |
Pesil |
o Children |
|
Rosenzweig |
Meir |
|
o Moshe |
|
Rosenzweig |
Shlomo |
|
o Moshe Zvi |
|
Rotter |
Dr. Solomon |
Elsa |
|
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Roza |
Meir Raphael |
Chana |
o Zecharyah Alter |
|
Rozman |
|
Berta (nee Lagur) |
|
|
Rozman |
Aharon |
Perl |
o 3 children |
|
Rozman |
Yaakov Dov |
Chaya |
o Yehuda o Moshe o Aryeh |
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Salomonn |
Shlomo |
Chana Perlrott |
o Bezalel o Yisroel |
|
Schleichkorn |
Shlomo |
Tamar |
o Chana o Daka o Moshe |
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Schloss |
Elimelech |
|
o Yechezkel o Kalman o Aryeh o Chaim |
|
Schloss |
Yosef |
Taube |
o Ze'ev o Shmuel o Kalonimus o Leib o Bluma o Lieba o Esther |
|
Schlossman |
Shimon |
Esther |
o Andor o Ermin |
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Schoen |
Yisachar Dov |
Mirrel
|
|
|
Schoenfeld |
|
Ita
|
o Pessel o Gissia o Aryeh o Eliezer o Yeshayahu o Mordechai o Elka |
|
Schorr |
Ephraim |
wife |
o children |
|
Schorr |
Shimon |
wife |
o Children |
|
Schultz |
Zvi |
Bluma (nee Perlrott) |
|
|
Schwartz |
|
|
o family |
|
Schwartz |
|
Malbin |
o Tzimat o Selma o Geller o Ilonka o sisters from the Grossman family |
|
Shapira |
Aharon Yaakov |
|
o Daughter |
|
Seinvel |
|
Chaya |
o husband David |
|
Seinvel |
|
Malka |
o husband David
o 5 children |
|
Seinvel |
|
Gittel |
o Husband Hershel o 2 children |
|
Seinvel |
Aryeh |
Chana |
o Shmuel o Rachel Leah |
|
Seinvel |
Ben Zion |
Shaindel |
o 4 children |
|
Seinvel |
Eliezer Moshe |
Raizel |
o Aharon o Baruch o Yosef o Avraham |
|
Seinvel |
Menachem |
Henya |
|
|
Seinvel |
Pinchas |
|
|
|
Seinvel |
Yisroel Avraham |
Milah |
|
|
Seinvel |
Yisroel Baruch |
Shaindel |
o Yoel o Eliezer o Meir o Mordechai o Hinda |
|
Seinvel |
Yitzchak |
|
o Aidel |
|
Seinvel |
Ze'ev |
Gittel |
o Leah |
|
Springer |
Yisroel |
|
o Rivka o Rachel o grandson Avigdor |
|
Stern |
Yosef |
Tzila |
o Eliezer o son-in-law Yaakov |
|
Stiller |
|
Rozanna |
o Ilsa o Trude |
|
Strebinger |
|
Rachel bat Gitel |
|
|
Tak |
Yosef |
Malkina (or Malvina?) |
o Shimon |
|
Tandlich |
|
Berta |
|
|
Treuerig |
Chanina |
|
o Yaakov |
|
Vogelman |
Moshe |
|
o Sons o Daughters o grandchildren |
|
Vogelman |
Tzvi Dov |
|
o Yisroel |
|
Waldman |
Shlomo |
Rachel |
o Moshe o Yosef
o Bondi |
|
Wildfeuer |
Yitzchak |
Esther |
o Chava Tamril o Bluma o Shani o Zano |
|
Wildfeuer |
Yoel |
Miriam |
o David o Edith |
|
Weiner |
Shmaryahu |
Yehudit
|
o Miriam |
|
Weiss |
Berl |
Ahuva |
|
|
Weiss |
Berl |
Devorah |
o Lena o Geula o Dov |
|
Winczer |
Yitzchak |
Shaindel |
o Aijo o Yaakov o Roza |
|
Wurm |
|
Sarah |
|
|
Wurm |
|
Rivka |
|
|
Wurm |
Aryeh |
|
o son |
|
Wurm |
Pinchas |
|
|
|
Ziegler |
|
Chaya |
o Ze'ev o Menachem o Esther o Yachad |
|
Zipser |
Aryeh |
|
o Chava |
|
Zipser |
Shmuel |
|
|
|
Zollman |
|
Sarah |
o her husband |
|
Zollman |
|
Golda |
o her husband o Natan o Shaindel |
|
Zollman |
Shmuel David |
|
|
|
Zuckerberg |
Yaakov Natan |
Shoshana |
o Malka o Tuvia |
In May 2011, an e-mail was sent to a request records of people who were born in Kezmarok who found their fate at Majdanek. Normally, requests for information is made on an individual basis, but Marta Grudzińska made an exception and provided the following list of information. Note: Not everyone from Kezmarok is listed here because some records were destroyed, so this is what was found.
The table below is based on documents from the State Museum of Majdanek. In return, Marta requested "If you have more information, pictures and documents about Majdanek's prisoners I would be very interested."
Marta Grudzińska
Archiwum Państwowego Muzeum na Majdanku
tel. 81 710 28 60
www.majdanek.eu
| Family name | First name |
| ALTMANN | Arthur |
| BERGMANN | Arnold |
| DEUTSCH | Isidor |
| DEUTSCH | Eugen |
| DEUTSCH | Armin |
| DEUTSCH | Bernat |
| ENGEL | Jan |
| ENGELHART | Simon |
| FENSTER | Geza |
| FRIEDMANN | Ernst |
| GÄRTNER | Wilhelm |
| GERHARDT | Abraham |
| GLÜCK | Armin |
| GOLDMANN | Alex. |
| GOLDSTEIN | Josef |
| GRÜN | Eugen |
| HERBST | Hermann |
| HOLLÄNDER | Dionis [Diorus] |
| INDICH | Mendel |
| JUNG | Heinrich |
| KORNHAUSER | Salamon |
| KORNHAUSER | Moritz |
| KÜNSTLINGER | Martin |
| LORBER | Markus |
| LORBER | Markus |
| RIEMER | Jakob |
| SEINVEL | Ernest |
| SEINWELL | Zoltan |
| WEINGARTEN | Wilhelm |
| WERTHEIMER | Jakob |
| WESTFRIED | Ignatz |
| WESTFRIED | Dezider |
|
Updated 24 February 2022 Copyright © 2014-2022 Madeleine R. Isenberg All rights reserved. |
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