Jewish Cemetery at Holič

That's amazing news !
I heard from someone who visited the cemetery, that the guard there told him that many tombstones were brought there from the surrounding towns.
So this is not only good news for those who come from Holič, but also for those who come from the neighboring towns.

This is the text that was posted on the municipal Facebook page:

"Vďaka podpore z Trnavského samosprávneho kraja
prejdú priestory Židovského cintorína revitalizáciou

Holíčska židovská komunita bola od neskorého stredoveku integrálnou súčasťou života mesta Holíč. Jej príslušníci sa po stáročia aktívne podieľali na ekonomickom, sociálnom a kultúrnom napredovaní multietnického Holíča. V písomných prameňoch sa stretávame s celým radom židovských obyvateľov Holíča (napr. v roku 1754 žilo v Holíči 1992 obyvateľov, čo je až trojnásobok oproti prvej štvrtine 18. storočia a na základe sčítania obyvateľov z r. 1869 v Holíči žilo 1095 osôb židovského vierovyznania, ktoré tvorili 205 domácností). Toto prirodzené spojenie násilne a definitívne prerušil až holokaust. Po skončení druhej svetovej vojny sa hŕstka preživších židov z Holíča postupne vytratila. Dnes je preto jediným svedkom niekdajšej existencie holíčskej židovskej komunity už len zachovalá židovská kultúrna pamiatka - Židovský cintorín, ktorý bol založený pravdepodobne v druhej polovici 18. storočia. Cintorín sa nachádza na ul. Pod sýpkou č. 7 v meste Holíč a je ohradený kamenným múrom. Najviditeľnejšou jeho súčasťou je vstupná brána, ktorá bola postavená medzi dvoma svetovými vojnami. Na bráne je uvedené hebrejské požehnanie. Súčasťou cintorína bola aj obradná hala, ktorú navrhol v r. 1930 holíčsky architekt M. Tauber.
Nakoľko táto unikátna pamiatka v súčasnosti nie je prístupná verejnosti a snahou Mesta Holíč v spolupráci s Ústredným zväzom židovských náboženských obcí je prispieť k revitalizácii tohto spomienkového miesta a zároveň sprostredkovať verejnosti možnosť spoznávať kultúrne hodnoty a tradície židovskej menšiny, zapojili sme sa koncom marca 2022 do výzvy Trnavského samosprávneho kraja č. 1/FoRT/2022 na predkladanie žiadostí o grant v rámci programu „Fond na rozvoj Trnavského kraja“ a predložili projekt s názvom: „Revitalizácia priestorov Židovského cintorína v Holíči“, ktorý nám bol aj schválený. Na základe Zmluvy 2022/OBC/R/F/SI/0544 o poskytnutí grantu nám bola pridelená dotácia vo výške 20 000 €, pričom mesto Holíč sa na danom projekte podieľa 10 % z celkovej výšky poskytnutého grantu.
Prvým krokom v rámci realizácie projektu bude očistenie/revitalizácia náhrobných kameňov. Najstaršie náhrobky sú pieskovcové, nízke, polkruhovo zakončené, avšak náhrobky z konca 18. storočia a prvej polovice 19. storočia sú už väčšie, zakončené trojuholníkovým alebo segmentovým štítom. Až koncom 19. a zač. 20 storočia sú osadzované náhrobky z umelého kameňa a žuly. Nápisy sú hebrejské, nemecké a po vzniku ČSR aj slovenské. Projekt bude dotvárať aj sprievodná aktivita zameraná na mapovanie hrobov, ktoré bude uskutočnené odbornou osobou, ktorá sa zaoberá židovskou menšinou a ovláda hebrejčinu. Získané poznatky budú následne prezentované na informačných paneloch.
Zrealizovaním nášho projektu prispejeme k propagácii mesta i kraja, naplníme ich rozvojový potenciál, nakoľko spoznávanie židovskej menšiny má nadregionálny, celoslovenský až európsky význam."

Thanks Cameron for posting this!
here is Google translation from Slovak:

"Thanks to the support from the Trnava self-governing region
the premises of the Jewish cemetery will undergo revitalization

The Holíč Jewish community has been an integral part of the life of the city of Holíč since the late Middle Ages. Its members have actively participated in the economic, social and cultural progress of the multi-ethnic Holíč for centuries. In written sources, we meet a whole range of Jewish residents of Holíč (e.g., in 1754, 1,992 people lived in Holíč, which is up to three times more than in the first quarter of the 18th century, and based on the population census from 1869, 1,095 people of the Jewish faith lived in Holíč, which consisted of 205 households). Only the Holocaust forcibly and definitively interrupted this natural connection. After the end of the Second World War, the handful of surviving Jews from Holíč gradually disappeared. Today, therefore, the only witness to the former existence of the Jewish community in Holíč is the preserved Jewish cultural monument - the Jewish cemetery, which was probably founded in the second half of the 18th century. The cemetery is located at ul. Under granary no. 7 in the town of Holíč and is surrounded by a stone wall. Its most visible part is the entrance gate, which was built between the two world wars. A Hebrew blessing is inscribed on the gate. The cemetery also included a ceremonial hall, which he designed in 1930 Hólica architect M. Tauber.
As this unique monument is currently not accessible to the public and the effort of the City of Holíč in cooperation with the Central Union of Jewish Religious Communities is to contribute to the revitalization of this memorial site and at the same time to provide the public with the opportunity to learn about the cultural values ​​and traditions of the Jewish minority, we joined the challenge at the end of March 2022 Trnava self-governing region no. 1/FoRT/2022 for the submission of grant applications within the "Fund for the Development of the Trnava Region" program and submitted a project entitled: "Revitalization of the premises of the Jewish Cemetery in Holíč", which was also approved by us. On the basis of Contract 2022/OBC/R/F/SI/0544 on the provision of a grant, we were allocated a subsidy in the amount of €20,000, while the city of Holíč participates in the given project in 10% of the total amount of the granted grant.
The first step in the implementation of the project will be the cleaning/revitalization of gravestones. The oldest gravestones are sandstone, low, with a semicircular end, but the gravestones from the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century are already larger, ending with a triangular or segmental shield. Only at the end of the 19th and beginning In the 20th century, gravestones made of artificial stone and granite are placed. The inscriptions are Hebrew, German and, after the creation of Czechoslovakia, also Slovak. The project will also be completed by an accompanying activity aimed at mapping the graves, which will be carried out by an expert who deals with the Jewish minority and knows Hebrew. The knowledge gained will then be presented on information panels.
By implementing our project, we will contribute to the promotion of the city and the region, we will fulfill their development potential, as getting to know the Jewish minority has supra-regional, all-Slovak and even European significance."

I have now established contact with a man named Peter Werner in Bratislava, who reports as follows:

"thank you for your mail and for the interest in the Jewish cemetery in Holíč. As Mr. Andrej Werner writes (we are not relatives), my father was born in Holič, so I try to be involved in all works in Holíč.

Maybe as the introduction I will mention first, that in approx. 2004 - 2005 I have organized the cleaning of the cemetery by young volunteers and also the gate was repaired. Unfortunately there was nobody who would give care
for the cemetery and afterwords the cemetery overgrew again. The situation has changed 6 years ago when the town Holíč wanted to construct a tower in the vicinity of the cemetery and wanted to buy the parcel of land which is
the property of the federation of of Slovak Jewish communities. Luckily I was at that time representative of Bratislava´s Jewish community and I have arranged, that the parcel of land was rented was symbolical amount of 1 €
with the obligation to clean the cemetery. It took almost 5 years till Holič fulfiled the contract and in the spring 2022 the cemetery was cleaned. From that time there is a big progres and as you could read further works were
performed and I have participated.

Within the newest project the information panels were installed, 10 matzevot were elevated and installed and I with my friend have started with the documentation. As you could know the cemetery is rather big. We were able to
photograph and document approx. 100 stones in 2 rows. We want to continue in the spring in this work. I have found the grave of my grandfather and I want to let elevate his matzeva and I want to invest further money for the
elevation of next matzevot.

As far as your wish is concerned in the meantime my friend has rewritten the texts from the pictures into the table, where I have found some data/names which could be of your interest:

Poloha hrobu Meno a priezvisko Hebrejské meno Dátum narodenia Dátum úmrtia Vek Meno manželky/manžela Meno otca Meno matky Poznámky: H-hebrejský nápis, N-nemecký nápis, M-maďarský nápis, S-slovenský nápis
Position Hebrew name Date of birth Date of death age name of spouse Name of father N. of mather Notes H-hebrew inscription, N - German, M - Hungarian, S - Slovak
Name and surname Place/town
01 39 DEUTSCH Ješajahu Wolf
08 Sep 1872 / 05. elul 5632
Amalie LÖFFLER David DEUTSCH / TRENSCHIN
H
01 40 DEUTSCH Lazar Lejzer Vrádište 10 Mar 1888 / 27. adar 5648, Holíč 53 Louise LÖFFLER David DEUTSCH / TRENSCHIN
H/N, overené a doplnené matrikou

01 41 DEUTSCH Louise r. LÖFFLER Libele
24 Apr 1903 / 27. nisan 5663
Eliezer DEUTSCH Moše LÖFFLER
H/N
01 42 DEUTSCH Amalie r. LÖFFLER Malka 1826 30 Dec 1904 / 22. tevet 5665
Jišaj Wolf DEUTSCH

H/N, náhrobok spadnutý
As I write above, we want to continue in the documentation, but the work is tremendous. On one side many stones are fallen (majority) so very often it is not possible to read the inscriptions as they lay "with the face to the
earth". It is necessary to elevate them and instal. On the other side to may photograph the stones it is necessary to clean them before. I have the promis from the town that the responsible people will apply for further funds
to continue in the works. I will contribute as well and we will appreciate if you could contribute to the installation of the matzevot and works.“

These are amazing news. I am exploring the possibility that the above 0141 DEAUTCH born LOFFLER Louise / Libele, wife of DEAUTCH Lazar / Eliezer, was my Great grandfather's sister. Interesingly the information here shows her father's name as "Mose" while I have "Marcus". So either Mose and Marcus were the same person or not...
How do we contact Peter Werner or anyone who is involved with this project?
Yohanan Loeffler

Hi Yohanon, yes, it is exciting news. Even more intriguing is the possibilty that Holič cemetery might also have been the burial place (or at least the subsequent repository of tombstones) for members of other smaller local communities (eg Petrova Ves). Judging from the photographs that I have seen of the cemetery since it was cleared of vegetation, it is much bigger than I had originally thought. I have asked Peter Werner if it is OK for me to give you his email address. The Amalie Deutsch née Löffler (1826-1904) that he has identified appears to be this person:

Mali Deutsch

C.

Peter says:
"Hello Cameron,

I see that the results of our work is bringing further interest. It is
of course heartwarming. On the other side I must say that it is very
much work in front of us. I try to encourage the municipality of Holíč
because further effort is needed from it´s side. They need to apply
for further grants because, bigger amount of money. I, as the privat
person I have no chance. Nevertheless, as I have written, I want also
to invest into the elevation of the matzevot and so contribute to the
renovation.

I don´t mind if you give my address to further people. Only you have
to know that at the moment the results of our work are limited and we
don´t send the complete table. Many positions need to be checked
mainly because, as I have also written, even among those matzevot which
we have photographed are many fallen not speaking about the rest of the
cemetery.

It is nice that you want to contribute to our work. Please, let me know
if you want to let elevate the matzevot - for example the matzeva of
Amalie Loeffler is fallen. The first offer what I have received for the
elevation is 350 €. With this price I calculate when elevating the
matzeva of my grand father. The grave is situated on the flat place, the
matzeva of Amalie Loeffler is on the slope, so the price can be different.
I want to invest 3000 € for such works, this is my budget for this year.
So it is the information for you to may evaluate the height of your
contribution. Any contribution will be used again for the renovation of
the matzevot. And as you could see from the pictures it will help only
for small part of the work........

If Yohanon has mentioned the name of Marcus Loeffler, so this is civil
name and Moshe (Mose) is Jewish name, i. e. the same person.

If you have any question and I will be able to answer, I will.

Regards,
Peter Werner"

His email address is wernerp@centrum.sk

He has also given me his bank account details, if you would like to help him by contributing to the costs but as he says the project really needs a large source of grant funding if it costs 350 Euros to remount a single tombstone.