Biecz Synagogue Explained

Building Name:Biecz Synagogue
Map Type:Poland#Poland Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Location:Biecz, Poland
Religious Affiliation:Judaism
Functional Status:Inactive
Architecture Type:Synagogue

The Biecz Synagogue is a former synagogue in Biecz, Poland. It is located on the main square of the town. Built in 1903, it is now used as a public library.

History

The synagogue was built in 1903,[1] with two separate entrances: one for men, which leads to the ground floor, and another one for women, which leads to the first floor.[2] By the early 1930s, the town of Biecz was home to 500 Jews, making up 15% of the entire population.[2]

During World War II, the Nazis established a Jewish ghetto around the synagogue.[2] Eventually, they killed 150 Jews and deported the remaining Jews to the Bełżec extermination camp.[2]

In the 1990s, the US-based Society of Jews from Biecz in New York added a commemorative plaque to the building.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Synagogue in Biecz, Rynek 20.. Virtual Shtetl. July 29, 2016.
  2. Book: Webber. Jonathan. Rediscovering Traces of Memory: The Jewish Heritage of Polish Galicia. 2009. Indiana University Press. Bloomington, Indiana. 9781906764036. 323127181. 19;136.