his report summarises the implementation of the pilot project ‘Pilot Project Protecting Country Report Jewish Cemeteries: A full mapping process with research and monitoring and individual costed proposals for protection’ in Moldova, and offers a detailed analysis of its results. The pilot project ran for 18 months, between 11 December 2018 and 10 June 2020, co-funded by the European Commission and implemented by the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative, with the aim of mapping, surveying every Jewish cemetery in the country, raising awareness about their value and vulnerability among local stakeholders, and conducting educational events for local high school students and their teachers.
Slovakia
:
Prior to the surveys conducted by the ESJF, there had been no comprehensive database of Jewish cemeteries in Moldova, so our work offers groundbreaking results, and adds much to our understanding of the location, condition, and ownership of Jewish burial sites in the country. Our surveys built on the two existing attempts to catalogue Moldova’s Jewish cemeteries, but they were able to add 19 new sites to the eventual, comprehensive list. The number of Jewish cemeteries in Moldova was estimated ca. 100, but our surveys visited every single site where there was a chance to find a Jewish cemetery. This practice was necessary, due to the lack of exact, comprehensive information. Surveyors visited 132 sites in total, verifying the situation on the ground at every single locality with a sizable Jewish community in the past. Our surveys yielded less than the projected 100 sites: it was determined that Jewish cemeteries existed at 72 of the visited sites; however, our teams were unable to access 2 of these (Ghersunovca and Cobasna). As such, 70 cemeteries were surveyed and analysed in Moldova. Of these 53 (78%) were found to be preserved and 17 (24%) demolished. Of the preserved cemeteries,
ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Contents Executive Summary The Jewish History of Slovakia The ESJF Survey Results in Slovakia Restitution and Legal Context Education Events in the Pilot Project Conclusion
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Executive Summary
T
his report summarises the implementation of the pilot project ‘Pilot Project: Protecting Jewish Cemeteries: A full mapping process with research and monitoring and individual costed proposals for protection’ in Slovakia, and offers a detailed analysis of its results. The pilot project ran for 18 months, between December 11th, 2018 and June 10th, 2020, co-funded by the European Commission and implemented by the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative. In Slovakia, the surveys aimed to locate, map, and survey ca. 350 Jewish cemeteries in the country, raising awareness about their value and vulnerability among local stakeholders, and conducting educational events for local high school students and their teachers. Unfortunately, some of this work was hindered by the coronavirus pandemic. The sites missed will be surveyed in the course of the pilot project «Protecting the Jewish cemeteries of Europe: Continuation of the mapping process, stakeholders’ involvement and awareness raising», which builds on the results of the current pilot. Prior to the surveys conducted by the ESJF, there had been no comprehensive database of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia. Restitution took place in the country, and the Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia (Ústredný zväz židovských náboženských obcí v Slovenskej republike - UZŽNO) now owns the majority of the cemeteries. How-
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
ever, UZŽNO does not have up to date information about all these sites. Our research identified 86 sites which were not included in the list of cemeteries owned by UZŽNO; the documentation of these, and the clarification of their ownership can be an important step towards the full restitution of Jewish property in Slovakia. Of the 211 cemeteries surveyed and analysed in Slovakia, 196 (93%) are preserved and only 15 (7%) demolished. Of the preserved cemeteries, 77 are unfenced. Of the demolished sites, 6 are overbuilt and 9 have not been built over. This relatively high percentage of preserved cemeteries compares favourably to other project countries like Greece and Ukraine. Restitution, albeit partial, offers some protection to vulnerable sites, but ground surveys reveal the lack of capacity and resources available for maintenance and care. Educational events were conducted in collaboration with the Holocaust Research Centre in Bratislava, with the support of UZŽNO. The first event was a teacher training seminar in Bardejov, followed by 5 seminars engaging secondary school students in Hummené (supported by the local Jewish community of Hummené, one of the few existing such organisations), Medzilaborce, Snina, Bardejov, and Prešov. These involved visits to cemetery sites, providing hands-on experience of engaging with local heritage sites and demonstrating the fundamental methods required for their interpretation. The most important finding of our work on the ground in Slovakia was the lack of restitution of all Jewish cemeteries. By gathering accurate data about the sites that have not been subject to restitution, our surveys contribute the first step towards protection through legal and managerial measures. The robust presence of UZŽNO, the legal owner of the restituted cemeteries, is an obvious entry point when thinking about protection measures in Slovakia. Our surveys found many locations where residents and activists
6
Executive Summary
maintain the local Jewish cemetery; their examples could be made more visible and the practice spread in the country, as it appears active citizen engagement is prominent in many places. Our educational events were met with significant interest by both students and teachers, with our cemetery visits prompting particular enthusiasm. We very much hope that the surveys, educational activities, and partnerships we built over the course of the pilot project are there to stay and will pave the way for future protection activities both on-site and in the classroom.
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The Jewish History of Slovakia
C
ontemporary Slovakia consists of two geographic zones: the northern mountainous area and the southern lowlands. The lowlands are considered part of the steppe corridor, a major historical migration route. The last major migration through this corridor was the invading Mongolian army in 1240-1242. In late antiquity, some of these territories were part of the Roman Empire, meaning it is not unlikely there was already a Jewish presence in the region then. After the Migration Period and the resettlement of the Slavs, these territories fell under the control of the Kingdom of Franks, Samo’s Empire, the Principality of Nitra, and Great Moravia. The latter fell into decay after the arrival of the tribes who would go on to found Hungary between the 10th and 11th centuries. This newly formed kingdom, which at least partially, and perhaps even fully, covered the territory of modern Slovakia, would persist for many centuries (except for a brief period in the 11th century which it fell under the rule of the Piasts). Due to this overlap, it is difficult to separate the medieval history of the Jews in Slovakia from that of the Jews in Hungary. In the 11th century, a Jewish population migrated to the kingdom of Hungary through Moravia. There is reliable evidence of a Jewish population in Slovakia from the middle of the 13th century. The presence of a Jewish community in Bratislava is mentioned in
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
the writings of King Bela of Hungary. However, in 1349, the Jews were expelled from Hungary due to superstition that recent plague outbreaks were punishment for their tolerance of non-Christians in their lands. A further expulsion was carried out between 1360 and 1367. In the 16th-17th centuries, following the defeat of the Hungarian army at the battle of Mojac, the kingdom became the scene of a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Habsburgs (supported by their European allies). This struggle was framed at the time as an apocalyptic religious confrontation, and led to increasingly poor treatment of religious minorities in the region. The policy of the Ottomans was generally more sympathetic to the Jews, yet still often entailed their resettlement in internal regions of the empire. In the territory of modern Slovakia, the first stretch of Habsburg rule (from 1520-1530) was marked by a ban on Jews living in municipalities. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the Habsburg Monarchy entered a period of enlightened absolutism, which led to the Decree of Tolerance being enacted in 1782. In 1840, the ban of residence in the territories of magistrates was lifted, leading to the emergence of new communities in the cities. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-1849, revolutionaries laid claim on the Lands of the Crown of St Istvan, beginning a conflict with the Habsburg rulers. There were Jews on both sides of the conflict, and anti-semitic unrest became rife. In 1867, an Austro-Hungarian compromise was reached, wherein the state was reformed into a dual-monarchy. One of the results of this compromise was the achievement of political equality by the Jews of Austria-Hungary, which catalysed the development of reform movements in Judaism and Jewish integration into civil society. However, this process did not offer many benefits to the Jews of Slovakia. For instance, while the rejection of Yiddish by Jews from Austria and Hungary could offer access to Austro-Hungarian uni-
10
The Jewish History of Slovakia
versities, those who spoke the Slovak language still faced the same barriers. In 1896, confessional equality was enshrined into law, but the de facto rejection of Judaism remained an informal condition for successful integration into civil society. During this historic moment, a strong Zionist movement developed in the Jewish population, along with a surge in the popularity of leftist political ideals. Slovak nationalists perceived Jews as agents operating under Austrian, Hungarian, and later Czech influence. In the wake of the First World War and the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the territory of modern Slovakia was incorporated into Czechoslovakia. Between 1930 and 1940, Germans regarded the Slovak nationalist movement as an ally in their policy against Poland and Czechoslovakia. Following the Allied appeasement of Hitler over Czechoslovakia, the republic lost much of its territory, and Slovakia received autonomy. In March of 1939, Slovakia declared its sovereignty, in sync with the annexation of Czech territories by Germany. As such, the independence of the republic was obtained at and dependent on the will of the German government. By decree of Berlin, Slovakia ceded part of its territory to Hungary, then acquired further territories after the occupation of Poland. With a cabinet of ministers sympathetic to German interests, and the admission of German advisers to the ministries, Slovakia was under German control. An objective of “aryanisation” had been set for the country, as well as the construction of a “national socialist state”. The perception of Germany as an ally in achieving their independence, as well as the prevalent nationalist antipathy towards “non-state peoples” in the region at the time determined the attitude taken towards the Jews. A major factor in the development of a national movement in Slovakia was the strong influence of the Catholic church, which later played a double role in the Holocaust. The logic of religious anti-Semitism did not
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
imply the physical extermination of the Jews, because the deportations of Jews to the territory of occupied Poland, which began under pressure from the German allies and contrary to the instructions of the Vatican in May 1942, were stopped in August 1942, when it became clear that death camps were the destination of these deportations. This increased pressure on the pro-German part of the government. Among the arguments against deportation were economic considerations; forced labour was considered a more humane, profitable approach to the deportations. Due to their authority among the local population, church representatives could stop anti-Jewish riots and organise the salvation of Jews, as can be seen from the lists of the Righteous Among the Nations, among which can be found many monks, nuns, and priests. In particular, the Uniate Bishop Pavlo Goidic was able to organise the mass salvation and harbouring of Jews in Slovakia. The List of the Righteous contains 558 names from Slovakia. As mentioned earlier, part of the territory of modern Slovakia was transferred to Hungary. At first, Hungarian policy on the Jewish question was characterised by greater independence from Germany (i.e. a greater tolerance for Jews), leading many Slovakian Jews to flee south and east. However, when the Germans occupied Hungary, many of these Jews chose to flee back to Slovakia. In 1944, a revolt broke out in Slovakia against Germany, which was joined by a significant number of Jews, partisan units, and most of the armed and police forces of Slovakia. In the process of its suppression, mass murders of the Jewish population were carried out under the German command. After the defeat and execution of the leaders of the uprising, a significant portion of the troops retreated to the mountains and underground, from where they later assisted the advance of the Red Army.
12
The Jewish History of Slovakia
After the war, Czechoslovakia was restored, after which the struggle for power began anew, ending in 1948 with the establishment of the communist regime. This struggle was accompanied by rioting, some of which were anti-Jewish. The Soviet anti-Jewish campaign, carried out under the euphemism of combatting “rootless cosmopolitanism” reached Czechoslovakia, where Jews had received a number of important party and government posts after the war, in the early 1950s. During this period, many Jews were imprisoned or executed. From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, however, many received amnesties. The liberalisation of the political regime in Czechoslovakia had a positive effect n Jewish life. However, after the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968 by Soviet troops, a new round of repressions were instituted, and the anti-semitic policies were restored. In the late 1980s, the Velvet Revolution led to a shift in politics, leading to beneficial changes to Jewish life in the region. In 1993, as a result of the “velvet divorce”, Slovakia again became an independent state. Since 2004, it has been a member of NATO and the European Union. Despite the dependent nature of the first Slovak state of 1939-1945, it can still be seen as the closest symbolic predecessor to modern Slovakia. Memories of the repression of that era still serve as a source of tension in discussions of the Second World War and the Holocaust, as well as in the assessment of political figures frmo the era. Since 2001, holocaust denial has been illegal in Slovakia. The cultural life of Jews in independent Slovakia continues to develop with the support of state apparati. Since 1993, the museum of Jewish culture has operated in Bratislava.
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The ESJF Survey Results in Slovakia
D
uring the pilot project, 237 cemeteries were surveyed in Slovakia. Access was curtailed in 26 cases, mostly due to overgrowth, therefore our surveys provide a full analysis of 211 cemeteries. Surveys covered the entirety of Prešov, Košice, and Banská Bystrica regions, as well as certain areas of the Bratislava and Žilina regions. The organisation will continue these surveys in the second pilot project, by the end of which we will have mapped the Jewish cemeteries of the entire country. Of the surveyed sites, 65 are located (60 categorised) in the Prešov region. 109 cemeteries surveyed (94 categorised) in Košice region. 52 sites surveyed (94 categorised) in Banská Bystrica region. In addition, 6 cemeteries in Žilina and 5 in Bratislava are surveyed. The list of surveyed sites was compiled on the basis of the list of the restitution of Jewish cemeteries provided by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Slovakia (UZŽNO). Beyond this list, international databases (IAJGS, JOWBR) were used, with additional field research conducted in settlements where there has been a significant, documented Jewish population. The lists provide the first comprehensive list of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia.
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Notable features of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia are their small size and high density. This is largely because, during the era of Hungarian control between the 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the Jews in these regions organized in small rural communities, and were responsible for their own institutions, including cemeteries. The survey showed a high territorial density of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia. In three districts (Presov, Košice, and Banská Bystrica) there are 226 cemeteries per 25.188 sq km, that is, 8.9 cemeteries per 1000 sq. km. This is significantly higher than in other surveyed countries (Moldova - 2.1 per 1000 sq km; Ukraine (estimated from partial data) - 2.4; Greece - 0.3). The highest density is in the Košice region: 16 cemeteries per 1000 sq. km (which can be compared to the neighboring Zakarpattya region in Ukraine, 19 cells per sq. km). The small size of the cemeteries is evidenced by their small average perimeter length (only 187m, while in Ukraine this figure is about 400m), as well as the number of gravestones (76 of 211 cemeteries have up to 15 gravestones; in the Košice and Banská Bystrica regions such small cemeteries make up half of all those preserved). Considering the high preservation level of cemeteries in Slovakia, the reason for this is not destruction, but their initially small size.
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The ESJF Survey Results in Slovakia
Main results Of the 211 cemeteries surveyed in Slovakia, 196 (93%) are preserved and 15 (7%) demolished. Among the preserved cemeteries, 91 are protected, 77 are unfenced, and 28 are Jewish sections within municipal cemeteries. Among the demolished cemeteries, 6 were demolished and overbuilt, and 9 presumably have preserved burials.
Demolished and overbuilt Jewish cemetery 6 (3%) Demolished Jewish cemetery that has not been built over 9 (4%)
Jewish section within the municipal cemetery 28 (13%)
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery 91 (43%)
Unfenced Jewish cemetery 77 (37%)
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Preserved cemeteries Slovakia shows the highest rate of the preserved cemeteries in the all regions surveyed – 93% (196 cemeteries). The vast majority of these cemeteries were used by the Jewish communities destroyed during WWII, and never operated since then. Since most of them are located in rural areas, the important role of rural communes and local residents in preserving the Jewish heritage in Slovakia should be recognized. 60% of the preserved cemeteries are fenced and protected (119 cemeteries), 40% (77 cemeteries) are unfenced. JEWISH CEMETERIES MAINTENANCE Used for agricultural or household needs 5 (3%) Totally abandoned 40 (20%)
Well-maintained 117 (60%) Sporadic care 34 (17%)
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The ESJF Survey Results in Slovakia
As surveys have shown, the maintenance and care of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia is not fully correlated with fencing and physical protection measures. Among the 119 fenced cemeteries, 102 are well-maintained, 10 show signs of sporadic maintenance, 6 are abandoned, and 1 is used for gardening. Among the 77 unfenced, 15 are well-maintained, 24 show signs of sporadic maintenance, 34 are abandoned, and 4 are used for gardening or household purposes. Note the surprisingly high number of maintained cemeteries among the unfenced ones. This shows that in Slovakia fencing is not the only method of cemetery preservation. Local communities as well as Jewish individuals have found other means to preserve and take care of the Jewish cemeteries without fencing them. Still, among the categorised cemeteries, 40 (34 unfenced and 6 fenced) are abandoned and overgrown with dense vegetation, which in some cases precludes access to the cemetery entirely. This was the case for the majority of the 26 cemeteries which could not be categorised due to lack of access. All of these sites are under threat of natural degradation.
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Restitution and Legal Context
O
nce part of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia has been independent since 1993 and has been a member of the European Union since 2004. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Slovakia (Ústredný zväz židovských náboženských obcí v Slovenskej republike - UZŽNO) is the legal successor to the defunct Jewish Communities and Jewish associations in the Slovak Republic according to decree Ú.v. no. 231/1945. Thus, all Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia are considered property of UZŽNO. UZŽNO provided ESJF with the document listing these cemeteries (“Listy vlastníctva na ÚZŽNO v SR, Bratislava”). This was an important resource in the production of the surveys list used by ESJF. Among the cemeteries surveyed by ESJF, 86 were not mentioned in this list, but identified through the usage of other archival sources and international databases. This includes large, operational cemeteries, such as those in Bratislava, Košice, and Prešov, as well as those belonging to lost Jewish communities, both well-maintained and abandoned. Only 6 of them are privately owned. 82 of 86 are preserved. The majority of these are mentioned in international databases such as the International Jewish Cemetery Project by the International Association of Jewish Ge-
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
nealogical Societies (IAJGS) and the JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR). It is possible that these cemeteries remain the property of active communities (particularly in Bratislava, Košice, and Prešov). It is also possible that the list provided by UZZNO is outdated or inaccurate. However, it is also possible that, contrary to the above-mentioned decree, some of the cemeteries – perhaps due to the absence of a comprehensive cemetery register – have not yet been returned to the Jewish communities and therefore remain in municipal control.
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Education Events in the Pilot Project
I
t is our belief that long-term preservation begins on a local level, by encouraging locals to take an active interest in protecting their own cultural heritage. However, with two world wars, the Holocaust, and the mass migration which took place in its wake, in many of the regions surveyed there is no Jewish community to speak of. As such, the challenge becomes engaging with local communities and changing the way they perceive Jewish cemeteries. Our aim in our educational projects is to show inhabitants that, rather than artefacts from an alien, extinct culture, these cemeteries represent a significant part of their own material heritage. By teaching young people how to engage with their local Jewish cemeteries, as well as preparing educators to integrate the topic into their curriculum, our goal was to cultivate a respect and interest in Jewish heritage in the next generation. In Slovakia, this involved a series of outreach programs to secondary schools around the country, in which students received lectures on Jewish cemeteries and the history of the Jewish community in their area, before being given the opportunity to explore their local Jewish cemetery, applying the knowledge they received in the lecture in a hands-on environment. Teacher training also took place, to help educators incorporate the study of Jewish cemeteries into their classrooms.
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Educational outreach began in Slovakia with a teacher training event in Bardejov which ran from September 12th-13th, 2019. Seven teachers took part in the outreach event, led by Dr. Ján Hlavinka and Michala Lônčíková from the Holocaust Documentation Centre in Bratislava. Participants were taught the methodological and pedagogical foundations of Jewish-related education, and how to bring the topic effectively and appropriately to the classroom. The course included lectures from Dr. Viliam Kratochvil, Dr. Ján Hlavinka, and Michala Lônčíková, as well as a guided tour of the Jewish suburb in Bardejov, led by Pavol Hudak, an engineer and resident of the town. Participants now have the necessary resources to teach about Jewish heritage in the classroom and can now tailor these resources to their individual teaching styles. The first of the secondary school outreach events took place in Hummené on October 9th, 2019. Dr. Ján Hlavinka, head of the Holocaust Documentation Centre in Bratislava, gave a lecture to the students of two local schools (Gymnázium arm.gen. Ludvika Svobodu and Základná škola Dargovských hrdinov elementary school) on the Jewish history of the region. Students were taught about the Jewish life cycle and the method for reading dates in Hebrew. Equipped with this knowledge, Dr Hlavinka then led the students on a guided tour of their local Jewish cemetery, where they were able to apply the new information in a hands-on setting. Mr. Juraj Levický, a member of the local Jewish community, accompanied the students on this expedition and shared first-hand experience of Jewish life in the town. Students were provided with a specially created worksheet to encourage participatory learning and were allowed to explore the site on their own. The next secondary school outreach event took place in Medzilaborce on October 10th, 2019. Firstly, Dr Hlavinka lectured the students on the Jewish history of their region and taught them how to read dates in Hebrew. After this, the students were then led on a guided excursion of a local Jewish cemetery, where they received specially created
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Education Events in the Pilot Project
worksheets and were encouraged to explore the site on their own, using the new skills they had been taught. Another secondary school outreach event took place on October 23rd, 2019, in Snina. Here, Michala Lônčíková, an experienced educator from the Holocaust Documentation Centre in Bratislava, taught students about the Jewish history of the Prešov region, along with useful tools for researching Jewish cemeteries, such as the formula for reading Hebrew dates. Following the lecture, students were led on an excursion to the local Jewish cemetery, where Lônčíková provided them with specially designed worksheets and encouraged them to explore the site on their own, applying their new knowledge in the field. On October 24th, 2019, the next secondary school outreach event took place in Bardejov. Michala Lônčíková led a lecture on the Jewish history of the region, as well as the Jewish lifecycle and the method for ascertaining Hebrew dates on tombstones. Following on from the lecture, the class was taken on an expedition to their local Jewish cemetery. Here, the students were provided with specially tailored worksheets to encourage participatory learning and allowed to examine the site on their own. Finally, Michala Lônčíková travelled to Prešov on October 25th, 2019, for the last of the secondary school outreach events. The students were given a lecture on the historical Jewish communities in their region, the Jewish lifecycle, and the formula for calculating Hebrew dates. Afterwards, they were led on an excursion to their local Jewish cemetery, where they were given the opportunity to explore the tombstones themselves with special worksheets designed for participatory learning. Over the two-month period in which the educational events took place in Slovakia, over two hundred secondary school students were reached.
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Date
Location
Programme
No. of Attendees
12-13/09/2020
Bardejov
Teacher training: Educators were taught the foundations of bringing the topic of Jewish cemeteries to the classroom, with lectures given by: Dr. Viliam Kratochvil, Dr. Ján Hlavinka, and Michala Lônčíková.
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This was followed by a guided tour of the Bardejov Jewish suburb, led by Pavol Hudak, an engineer and local resident. 09/10/2019
Humenné (Gymnázium arm. gen. Ludvika Svobodu and Základná škola Dargovských hrdinov elementary school)
Secondary school outreach: Dr. Ján Hlavinka gave a lecture on: he Jewish history of the T region. The Jewish lifecycle. he method for reading dates T in Hebrew. They were then led on a tour of the cemetery with local Juraj Levický, and provided special worksheets to encourage participatory learning.
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50 students from two schools
Education Events in the Pilot Project
Date
Location
Programme
No. of Attendees
10/10/2019
Medzilaborce
Secondary school outreach: Dr. Ján Hlavinka gave a lecture on:
50 students from two schools
he Jewish history of the reT gion. The Jewish lifecycle. he method for reading T dates in Hebrew. They were then led on a tour of the cemetery and provided special worksheets to encourage participatory learning. 23/10/2019
Snina
Secondary school outreach: Michala Lônčíková gave a lecture on:
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he Jewish history of the reT gion. The Jewish lifecycle. he method for reading dates T in Hebrew. They were then led on a tour of the cemetery and provided special worksheets to encourage participatory learning.
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
Date
Location
Programme
No. of Attendees
24/10/2019
Bardejov
Secondary school outreach: Michala Lônčíková gave a lecture on:
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he Jewish history of the reT gion. The Jewish lifecycle. he method for reading dates T in Hebrew. They were then led on a tour of the cemetery and provided special worksheets to encourage participatory learning. 25/10/2019
Prešov
Secondary school outreach: Michala Lônčíková gave a lecture on: he Jewish history of the T region. The Jewish lifecycle. he method for reading dates T in Hebrew. They were then led on a tour of the cemetery and provided special worksheets to encourage participatory learning.
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Conclusion
T
he pilot project succeeded in surveying over 200 Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia, many of which had not been researched accurately before. Experience in the particular challenges and characteristics of survey work in Slovakia will be used in the second pilot project in 2020-21, when the remaining sites will be surveyed in order to produce a comprehensive survey of all Jewish cemeteries in the country. We uploaded aerial photographs and GPS coordinates, as well as detailed information about the surveyed sites, to the project database. Local authorities were contacted at every location and were provided with information about the project. We worked closely with the Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia, sharing with them the results of our surveys. As they are the de jure owners of restituted Jewish cemeteries, but lack the financial and human resources for their monitoring and maintenance, this data was crucial in arranging improved management and protection in the future. Such developments are often rather slow, so we expect further collaboration to stem from the pilot project long after its conclusion. It is especially important to assess the involvement of civil society in the preservation of Jewish cemeteries in Slovakia in the future, as such a broad coalition of stakeholders could help address the challenges UZŽNO faces in ensuring appropriate maintenance.
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Country Report: Slovakia. ESJF surveys, analysis and educational events, 2018-2020
The ESJF contributed to raised awareness among high school students and teachers through education events that brought the Jewish cemetery to the classroom, and fostered a broader understanding of the Jewish history and heritage of Slovakia than the information available in the regular curriculum, which tends to focus on the tragedy of the Holocaust. Feedback revealed that approaching Jewish cemeteries as heritage sites provided new insights for both students and teachers, helping to foster a future-oriented engagement with the country’s Jewish past. The network of teachers we built will continue to benefit from the resources produced in the course of the project, including our manual, “Jewish Cemeteries in the Classroom - an ESJF Guide”, which we produced based on experience from these educational events. Overall, our findings from the pilot project suggest that restitution is unfinished and is fraught with challenges in Slovakia. As such, it is crucial that UZŽNO be supported in the preservation of at-risk sites, as their permission is necessary for any cemetery-related activity. It would be especially promising to facilitate cooperation between UZŽNO and the local civil society, as well as municipal authorities, thereby forming a coalition better equipped to preserve Jewish cemeteries. These coalitions need not focus on fencing, but can suggest alternative preservation techniques such as maintenance measures. Education is a crucial element in making protection measures socially sustainable. Our approach that conceptualised Jewish heritage as part of our shared, European heritage has proven popular and eye-opening, and the hands-on approach of visiting cemeteries was well received. It would be fruitful to continue this classroom work and eventually translate it into policy suggestions for the benefit of future generations in Slovakia.
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www.esjf-surveys.org INFO@ESJF-CEMETERIES.ORG