Much has been going on in Lithuania regarding Jewish heritage, and we will be posting on various issues and developments in the coming days.
Ruta Anulyte, of the Maceva Lithuania Jewish Cemetery Project, has sent us photos of two Jewish grave markers discovered in May by Antanas Zilinskas, director of the local museum in Vilkaviskis, in a house being restored near him.
It appears that one of the markers was used as a mill stone.
The other is a very rare example of a polychrome grave marker made out of tin.
Ruta writes: “I have never seen something like this remaining in Lithuania, even though there were some wooden and iron tombstones, but due to erosion, time distance and metal thieves such once usual matseyvas were nearly lost nowadays. Taking into consideration the fact that a style of gravemarkers of Lithuanian Jews from provincial areas were more or less quite often modest and unfancy it is really a special discovery.”
We are waiting to hear what will be done to preserve these markers, and where they will be placed.
3 comments on “Rare Jewish gravestones discovered in Lithuania”
Delighted that so many have helpful suggestions. I hope those suggestions are accompanied by donations so that their ideas may be implemented.
they must be placed in a prominent location so that one and all can see them and see that once these people were alive and had people who cared enough to ensure there was a memorial even if it was a basic one.
Show these very beautifull items to the word , they might be very old.
and deserve it.