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This project seeks to collect all of the Jewish families from the town of Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland also known as Dombrova, Dombrova Tarnovska, Dombrowa Tarnowska, Dambrova, Dąbrowa.
Gesher Galicia-Dąbrowa Tarnowska
Dąbrowa Tarnowska [d%C9%94m%CB%88br%C9%94va tarˈnɔfska] is a town in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Tarnów. It is the capital of Dąbrowa County. Before reorganization (in 1999) Dąbrowa Tarnowska was part of Tarnów Voivodeship (1975–1998). Population is 11,402 (2008).
Dąbrowa Tarnowska has a rail station on the minor line which joins Tarnów and Szczucin. The town lies on the Bren river, on the boundary of two geographic regions, the Carpathian Foothills and the Sandomierz Basin. The town is a home to a football club Dabrovia Dąbrowa Tarnowska (established in 1922), which plays in the regional league, the sixth level of Polish football league system. Furthermore, Dąbrowa has ruins of a Baroque palace of the Lubomirski family, as well as a 19th-century synagogue.
The name of the town comes from oak groves, called dąbrowy in Polish, which were abundant here in the past. Dąbrowa used to be called Dambrawa Wielka (Dambrawa Magna) as well as Dobrowa, and finally the adjective “Tarnowska” was added to it, to distinguish it from Dąbrowa Górnicza and Dąbrowa Białostocka.
History
Dąbrowa Tarnowska was first mentioned as a parish village in 1326. At that time, it already was a large village, which belonged to the noble Ligeza family, and had a mill, fish farm, 60 agricultural farms and a folwark. In 1614, a new parish church was built by Mikolaj Ligeza who in the 1630s also built a defensive palace (palazzo in fortezza), protected by the Bagienica river. The palace was square shaped, with a rampart and four bastions. In 1683-1693, Michal Lubomirski built a new, Baroque palace, and as a result, the old palace ceased to be a family residence, and was turned into a brewery. In the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Dąbrowa belonged to the Sandomierz Voivodeship.
Dąbrowa Tarnowska was granted town charter probably in 1693, and the town was developed east of the Lubomirski palace. In 1771, a new, large church was built, and following the first partition of Poland (see Partitions of Poland), the town became part of Austrian Galicia, where it remained from 1772 until 1918. In 1846, the Lubomirski palace burned in a fire, after which it was never rebuilt. A post-office named DOMBROWA was opened in 1858.
The town was part of the Austria side after the compromise of 1867, head of the DABROWA district, one of the 78 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Austrian Galicia province (Crown land).
In 1948-1965, a church was built in the location of the palace, all that remains of the complex is its main gate. In 1906, the rail line from Tarnów to Szczucin was opened, and in the Second Polish Republic, Dąbrowa was part of the Kraków Voivodeship.
Surviving vital records less than 100-years old are held in Civil Records Offices (Urzad Stanu Cywilnego). Vital records from smaller communities are recorded in a nearby town with a Jewish Civil Register. For details of the surviving birth, marriage and death records for your town that are less than 100-years old, click here. Other types of records and their sources may also be listed. (This feature provided by the Routes to Roots Foundation and the Steve Morse "One Step" system.)
Dąbrowa Tarnowska Synagogue restored
In June 2012 the Synagogue in Dąbrowa Tarnowska was opened after major renovation works carried by the local municipality and financed from the city budget and EU funds. The restored building is housing the Center for the Meeting of Cultures in Dąbrowa Tarnowska with an extensive exhibit dedicated to the history of local Jewish community.
The Dąbrowa synagogue dates back to early 1860s when the growing Jewish community decided for this monumental structure along the main street in the city. It was build according to the plans of Jewish architect Abraham Goldstein. Funds were mostly provided by Izaak Stern, a local Jewish philanthropist whose donation was recognized in the Hebrew inscription in the upper part of the eastern wall. Construction and finishing works were conducted from 1855 to 1865.
In early XX century a small synagogue for Orthodox Jews and Mikveh were build adjacent to the main building. During WW I the complex suffered some destruction because of the vicinity of the Russian-Austrian frontline and was restored with the donation of a local resident named Gold. Another, more extensive and throughout renovation was conducted from 1936 to 1937 under the supervision of Dora Mertz from Tarnów. A characteristic three-storey gallery flanked with two towers containing staircases was added at that time. Near the top of the towers there are four bas-relief sculptures of biblical animals with Hebrew inscriptions: be brave like a leopard, be light like as eagle, be strong like a lion, be nimble like a deer.
During WW II the synagogue was changed into warehouse by the German Nazis and in spite of some reconstruction attempts undertaken in the 1970s it had to wait as ruin until 2008 when the just finished major reconstruction was undertaken.