Krośniewice Shtetl

Memorial for the former Jewish inhabitants of Krośniewice, the white building in the background at the site of the former synagogue. Photo source: Marysia Galbraith

Overview

History of Krosniewice’s Jewish Community

Sources: Pinkas Hakehillot Polin: Krosniewice and Virtual Shtetl

The first Jews began to settle in Krośniewice around 1564. In 1765, an independent Jewish community was established. There were 79 Jews living in the city at that time. The enormous demographic growth of the Jewish population occurred in the 19th century, following the development of the town itself, where services, crafts, transport (railway station) and industry (sugar factory) developed enormously. In 1897, the Jewish community in Krośniewice numbered 5,054 people, which constituted 43% of the total population. The situation of the Jewish population significantly worsened during World War I and immediately after its end. Many victims were killed by epidemics (mainly typhus) that hit the city several times. For supporting the Bolsheviks, several Jews were shot by the Polish Army during the Polish-Bolshevik war. At the beginning of the interwar period, in 1921, 1,300 Jews lived here. READ MORE from Virtual Shtetl and Pinkas Hakehillot Polin: Krosniewice

Resources