US Commission No. ROCE-0158 -
The cemetery is located at Mintiu, near the village, code 4513, judet Bistrita, Romania at 4714 2422, 15 km from Nasaud at 4717 2424. The alternate name is Olahnemeti (Hungarian), Rumanisch Baierdorf (German) Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [June 2016]
- Mayor Runcan Viorel, Nimigea de Jos
- The Jewish Community of Bistrita, Gr. Balan Str., 71, cod 4400, Bistrita, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str. no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "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.
- Key holder and caretaker: Boncea Ioan, Mintiu, no. 153
The 1850 Jewish population by census was 51 and in 1930 was one Jew. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Bistrita and in June 2-6, 1944 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century with last known burial in 20th century.
The isolated rural/agricultural hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open with permission. A fence with a non-locking gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 20 m x 10 m. 1-20 stones are visible, not in original location. 25%-50% 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. Tombstones date from the 19th century. The limestone marble, granite, and limestone tombstones have only common gravestones with Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by unpaid individuals. No structures.
Cosmina Popa, Tatra Str. no. 4, tel. 064/ 128764, Cluj Napoca, 3400 and Ioana Raiciu, Bd. 21 Decembrie, 13-15, 064/190849, Cluj-Napoca, 3400 visited the site and completed the survey on July 27, 2000 using the following documentation:
- The General Census of the Population of Transylvania- 1850, Ed. Staff, 1996
- Ernest Wager, Historisch- Statistisches- Ortsnamenbuch fur Siebenburgen-, Ed. Bohlau, 1977
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. Istoria evreilor din Transilvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localităţilor din Transilvania, I-II, Bucharest, 1968.
- Recensamintul general al populatiei din Transilvania-1930 decembrie 29, I-III, Bucharest, 1938
They interviewed no one. [January 2003]