Only a remnant survives of the “Linat Cholim“ Jewish hospital in Sosnowiec, crying to the Heavens. The remains of the sign in Polish and Yiddish is displayed above the entrance, as witness to the Nazi vandalism.

Page
Introduction: Jewish settlements in the Zaglembian region	291
Ostrogórka	15
Oswiecim	11
Imielin	113
Bobrek	341
Bytom	11
Będzin	105
Brzezinka (Birkental)	113
Golonóg	342
Gzichów	345
Grabocin	376
Maczki-Granica	358
Groß-Chelm	113
Dąbrowa Górnicza	95
Dabrówka	157
Dandówka	346
Debowa Góra	351
Henryków	365
Wysokie-Brzeg	357
Warpie	345
Zawodzie	375
Zagórze	351
Zagłębie	87
Ząbkowice	354
Janów	111
Józefów	352
Jezor	357
Modrzejów	292
Malobadz	345
Milowice	360
Myslowice	110, 292, 316
Niwka	365
Niemce	369
Sosnowiec	11
Strzemieszyce	336
Slawków	327
Slupna	371
Pogon	17
Porombka	373
Puszkin (?)	351
Piaski	327
Pekin	375
Czeladź	320
Kozieglówki	380
Kazimierz	376
Katowice	111, 113
Katarina
Klimontów	376
Ksawera	327
Krolewska Huta	111
Radocha	16
Rapkis (?)	377
Szopienice	111
Siewierz	380
Sielce	17
Srodula	17
Szczakowa
Rivers
Brynica	91
White Przemsza	91
Black Przemsza	89

[Page 291]

I previously wrote in the monograph called “History of the town of Sosnowiec and its vicinity” about the three towns that made up the Jewish “triangular thread” of the Zaglembian region, and they are: Będzin, Sosnowiec and Dąbrowa Górnicza that made up most of the people and most of the buildings – from a general and a Jewish aspect – in the region.

However, I believe that I would not have done my duty to the Jews in the region living in many towns and villages if I don't complete this by describing a similar history for them. These Jewish settlements are worthy of a chapter by themselves because of a spiritual need to recall their memory as well. It is a good thing that the writer was very involved in the whole area being born in one of these settlements and also from regular visits to almost every location and from personal contact with the Jews in each place, to the point that the writer knew the name of each Jew, personally and of his family. This deed has not been carried out up till now, and I think that it is a mitzvah to also immortalize the memory of these settlements that had been up till now viewed as “unknown territory” and to add an aspect to the museum of Polish Jewry that was destroyed by the foul Nazis.

It is possible to allocate the Zaglembian region from this point of view into two parts.

1. The part that includes old, large and small settlements that I have already described;
2. The new and unknown part, because these Jewish settlements began later, in the second half of the 19^th century and onwards, under difficult political conditions, apart from other obstacles that were encountered with every step. Here again there is room to provide a wide description of Jewish life in the region within the background of their modest and traditional lives within Zagłębie, that because of the character of the new settlement a new meaning is received.

In this area there are in total two to three old Jewish settlements, whose names are mentioned to various extents in documents, memoirs and travel logs, and these are Będzin, Modrzejów and Czeladź. In Zagłębie there were a number of places in which Jews were forbidden to settle because of the Catholic law “ne tolerandum judaeis” (non-sufferance of Jews) according to the special privilege that was given them like, Slawków, Czeladź, Siewierz, Kozieglówki, that belonged to the same places that were deemed holy for them. It was only thanks to Russia when the administration of Congress Poland was transferred according to the decision of the congress in Vienna (1815) that the gates of Zagłębie were opened wide to the immigration of Jews, and even more after the failure of the Polish Uprising in 1863. They began streaming to there from near and far and in a relatively short time Jewish settlements were created in the towns and villages, in the farms and agricultural settlements, with a grass-roots, traditional lifestyle characteristic of Polish Jewry that was uprooted and destroyed by the murderers of the people – the German Nazis.

Similar to the history of Zagłębie itself, the origins of the Jews is concealed in confusing legends and anecdotes. However, one thing is certain, in that there was a certain change in the attitude of the authorities towards the Jews and their settlements from when the Zaglembian region was included in the area conquered by Russia. During the Polish Kingdom period a certain “settlement region” existed for the Jews, and quite a number of towns and villages were blocked from Jewish settlement. The Russians cancelled this prohibition and the Jews began streaming to the settlements that were new to them. In the Zaglembian region a law was implemented in 1823 that forbade Jews from outside the area to settle in Będzin or its vicinity without a special license from the central authorities, on the excuse that the town was located 21 verst [a Russian unit of length: 1.067 km] from the border with Prussia and Austria. This law remained in force till 1862, when Emperor Alexander the Second cancelled all laws and limitations of the settlement of Jews in all of the Polish Congress towns, apart from the limitation of settling in an area close to the border, and it wasn't easy for a common Jew to receive a license to settle in the Zaglembian region from the central authorities in Warsaw. However the strong need of the Jews to find a “shelter” and a place with a livelihood overcame the government laws. Indeed the old Jewish settlements in Będzin and Modrzejów made it easier for Jews to settle in the nearby villages.

Indeed the Zaglembian region was large and spread out, with tens of villages and farms, without Jews, and the farmers made a meager living from their lands that did not excel in their fertility. And justice was done by the person who discovered treasures in the coal diamonds in deep underground recesses, and an easier source of livelihood was opened up to the farmers' sons who started working as miners in the coalmines and earn relatively more than the income from agriculture. The mine owners took care of themselves from the outset without looking after the laborers and improving their accommodation situation, cheap economy and other desirable institutions, and the laborers themselves hadn't managed to take care of themselves and prepare suitable arrangements for supplies. This opened up an excellent opportunity for the Jews to act as the intermediaries between the employers and the employees, in offering the miners food requirements and under favorable conditions supply with credit till their wages were paid, and the villages also had a lack of various tradesmen in the field of clothing and foot-ware and related fields and in this area also, the Jewish tradesmen could be of benefit. The new spirits opposing the reactionary Russian authority had yet to be born, and only later was the Socialist movement founded, with the P.P.S. being the largest of them, that excelled in its wide propaganda.


[Page 292]


The Jewish merchants who had become accustomed to trade in every town and village in Poland came looking for a livelihood in the areas close to Zagłębie, and there were also those that came from the Kielce and Piotrokow districts and served as purchasing agents for agriculture produce and sold them goods from the city.

On the other hand there is a belief that the first Jews came to the villages of Zagłębie from their homes from towns in the area and not as settlers, rather as purchasers of agricultural produce, and towards evening they would return to their homes in the nearby towns. However there were quite a few occasions in which the farmers offered their Jewish guests to stay overnight, and hence a friendly relationship was established and the farmers were willing to rent apartments to them and open up shops, that is to say, these Jews went to live in the villages via the “back door”, without a license from the authorities, and even the government clerks made out they were unaware of this, and only after the Jewish settlement arose and established itself did problems arise regarding Jews living on “farming” land (wloscianski) or civil land. The community of Będzin and Modrzejów absorbed Jews in the villages as much as possible, since as a result their influence was expanded and they even benefited from the income of the “religious needs” from these new places. Earlier the Jews lived in apartments rented from farmers who benefited from the new income, and only after financial establishment did the Jews begin building houses of their own, of which some were several stories high, and Christians lived in them as well.

The mitzvah of entertaining guests was very popular in all the young Jewish settlements in Zagłębie. They had a traditional willingness to help their fellow man however they could, financially, traditionally, publicly, and also personally. When the blue box of the KKL [Jewish National Fund] for the redemption of the Land of Israel was introduced, it was given pride of place in the Jewish homes. Even institutes teaching Torah and philanthropic enterprises were a source of great support and anyone who happened to one of these settlements would feel himself at home.

It is needless to say, that the Jews from the towns and villages in Zagłębie were loyal to the tradition and the religious and cultural character in its fullest meaning. Quite a few were learned scholars, geniuses in their youth, educated in the spirit of Chassidim, and were owners of a rich assortment of books on Judaism and Torah, Chassidism and education, and even newspapers like “Hazfira” [“The Siren”] with “Ha-Asif” annuals [a literature journal] of Nahum Sokolov and excelled in their noble attributes imbibed with a spirit of the love of their fellow man, and a feeling existed as if everyone were part of the one family.

The area of the Zaglembian region wasn't always the same over all periods of time. There were periods that it was called “Great Zagłębie” and it spread out towards Zawiercie and Olkusz. On the other hand there was a “Reduced Zagłębie” after certain areas were taken away from her and annexed to other regions. There is room to describe the Jewish settlements in the villages and farms spread about the area of “Reduced Zagłębie” and perhaps someone will come forward and complete what is missing here.

The heart bursts in pain from the loss of all of this Jewry, and the passage from the “Thirteen attributes” prayers” is recalled: “The holy city and provinces were caused disgrace and humiliation – and all its delights were captured and removed” …

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