Jewish Cemetery

On Okopowa Street in Warsaw, this cemetery was established in 1806 and covers 33 hectares. Its scale gives a sense of the Jewish community that shaped the city before the Holocaust. Walk among historic tombstones, including 19th-century monuments, and look for graves marked by bullet damage from the Second World War. Vegetation has grown over many parts of the grounds, lending the site a quiet, solemn character. Paths can be difficult to follow, and information on site is limited, so a guidebook can help you make sense of what you see.

A cemetery founded in 1806

Warsaw’s Jewish Cemetery was established in 1806 on Okopowa Street. Covering 33 hectares, it is one of Europe’s largest Jewish cemeteries. Its size recalls the Jewish community that lived in Warsaw before the Holocaust and its important place in the city’s history and culture.

The cemetery survived the Second World War and remains in use. After a period of neglect following the war, restoration has taken place gradually. Many parts of the grounds are still overgrown, with vegetation surrounding old graves and monuments.

Tombstones and traces of war

As you walk through the grounds, look for historic tombstones, including monuments from the 19th century. Some graves still show bullet damage from the Second World War. Others have crumbled with time or are partly covered by plants, adding to the cemetery’s subdued atmosphere.

The scale of the site means that a visit can involve a great deal of walking. Paths may be difficult to follow, and there is limited information on site. A guidebook can help you identify what you are seeing and put individual monuments in context.