US Commission No. ROCE-0607
The cemetery is located at Str. Tusnad no. 4, Medias, judet Sibiu, 4610 2421, 146.8 miles NW of Bucharest and 60 km from Sibiu. The alternate names are Medgyes (Hungarian) and Mediasch (German). Current town population is over 100,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.
- Mayor Plopeanu Teodor, Medias
- The Jewish Community of Alba Iulia, Str. Tudor Vladimirescu no. 4, Alba Iulia, Romania. Phone: 00/40/58/817840
- The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str., no. 9-11, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi Str., no. 15, 6400- Iasi (judet Iasi), Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Key holder and caretaker: Antal Margareta, Str. Tusnad no. 4, Medias, jud.Sibiu.
The 1838 Jewish population by census was 15, from 1850-1851 was 24, in 1857 was 50, from 1869-1870 was 25, in 1880 was 197 and in 1930 was 702. The unlandmarked Orthodox and Neolog cemetery was established in 19th century with last known burial in 1993 (Kovacs Irma.) The cemetery is 2 km from the congregation that used it.
The urban hillside, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open with permission. A masonry wall with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 130 x 60 m. 100-500 stones are visible in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections.
The oldest known gravestone dates from 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and slate boulders, flat shaped, smoothed and inscribed, sandstone, and slate tombstones have metallic elements and metal fences around graves. Inscriptions are in Hebrew and German, Romanian, and Hungarian. The cemetery has Holocaust memorial. The local Jewish community owns the property used for recreational use (park, playground, sports field) and Jewish cemetery. Adjacent property is cemetery. Frequently, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors and local residents stop at the never vandalized cemetery.
Maintenance has been cleaning stones and fixing wall. Current care is regular unpaid caretaker. Within the limits of the cemetery is a preburial house with a tahara, a catafalque, and an ohel.
Lucian Nastasă, Clinicilor Str., no. 19, Cluj, Romania, tel. 064/190107. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. visited the site and completed the survey on November 3, 2000 using the following documentation:
Lucian Nastasă interviewed Antal Margareta, Str. Tusnad no. 4, Medias, judet Sibiu. [January 2003]