Series Cooperation 2020 with Polish websites on Jewish cemeteries


The story of the Jews of Wormditt is leaves some questions unanswered. Although this town was protected from great destruction during the Second World War, it seems to be more backward than other comparable places in the now Polish part of East Prussia. In 1925, the Rabbi of Elbingen published a travel guide to Jewish communities in East Prussia (Mit jüdischen Augen durch deutsche Lande), in which he mentioned individual villages and local contacts. But the town of Wormditt is not mentioned in it.

Already very early in the 18th century there were individual Jews here. A cemetery, which can still be seen to the north-west of the city centre on a hill, has existed since 1806. A Jewish community was established in 1849 and around 1871, with 174 people, there were the most Jewish inhabitants. Afterwards, as in many East Prussian cities, the number slowly decreased.

There was once a synagogue in the old town. It is said that the synagogue and cemetery were destroyed in the night of the pogrom in November 1938. Today the area of the cemetery (Piaskowa 32) still shows the access road, remains of a surrounding wall and a few gravestone pedestals. One would have to search in the archives and in the stories for more details.



Sources for this webpage:
- Description of Jewish places of worship and cemeteries within the boundaries of the current administrative region of Warmia-Masuria (in Polish). Seweryn Szczepański, Rocznik Ziem Zachodnich 01/2017 (Yearbook of the Western Lands) >>
- Article about cemetery from Webpage Wirtualny Sztetl Polin Museum >>
- Own on-site visit in 2018
Note: List of names of Jews in Wormditt 1838 (Geheimes Staatsarchiv Berlin) Wormditt-2 >>

Series Cooperation 2020 with Polish websites on Jewish cemeteries