International Jewish Cemetery Project - Romania C
The cemetery is located at Calafat, Bv. Horea Closca si Crisan, 1275, judet Dolj, Romania.
4., Romania. 4359 2256, 159.8 miles W of Bucharest and 87 km from Craiova. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
- Local Authority: Mayor Cristaru Petre, Town Hall of Calafat, T. Vladimirescu Str., no. 41, tel.: 0040-51-232359
- Local religious authority: The Jewish Community of Craiova, Horezului Str. no. 15, 1100, Romania, tel. 0040-51-417565
- National religious authority: The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str., no. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- Interested: "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Str. no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Caretaker: none
The 1889 Jewish census population was eighty and was 56 in 1930. The Orthodox, unlandmarked cemetery was established at end of the 19th century with last known burial in 1970. The urban flat land, part of a municipal cemetery, has no sign or marker. Reached via other public local cemetery, access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate.
Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is unknown. 20-100 stones are visible. 20-100 stones are in original location. 1-20 stones are not in original location. Less than 25% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. The oldest known gravestone dates from 1898. The 19th and 20th century marble, slate, and concrete flat shaped, smoothed and inscribed, and carved relief-decorated have Hebrew, German, and Romanian inscriptions. Some have metal fences around graves. No known mass graves. The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are commercial or industrial and the Greek-Orthodox cemetery. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop at the never vandalized cemetery. No maintenance. No care now. No structures. Security is a moderate threat. Vegetation is a moderate threat.
Ursutiu Claudia, Pietroasa Str. no. 21, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, tel: 0040-64-151073 visited the site and completed the survey on 11 July 2001 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul general al populatiunei Romaniei din decembrie 1899 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from December 1889), Bucuresti, Lito-tipografia L. Motzatzeanu, 1900
- Recensamantul general al populatiei Romaniei din 29 decembrie 1930, vol. II (The General Census of the Population of Romania from 29 December 1930, vol. II), Bucuresti, 1938
- N. Iorga, Istoria evreilor in terile noastre (The History of the Jews of our Countries), Bucuresti, 1913.
- M. Schwarzfeld, O ochire asupra istoriei evreilor din timpurile cele mai departate pina la anul 1850, (A look at the Jewish History from the beginning until 1850), Bucuresti, 1887
- C. Iancu, Evreii din Romania 1866-1919 (The Jews from Romania), Bucuresti, 1996
No interviews. [January 2003]