• Memorials to the Murdered Jews of Stanisławów
In the West-Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk (German: Stanislau, Polish: Stanisławów, until 1962 in Russian: Stanislav) several memorial stones on the Jewish cemetery remember the Jews who were murdered during the German occupation 1941-1943.
Image: Stanislau, about 1900, Israelite temple, Tomasz Wiśniewski
Stanislau, about 1900, Israelite temple, Tomasz Wiśniewski

Image: Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, The temple today, only partially used as synagogue, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, The temple today, only partially used as synagogue, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, as the city is called since 1962, is located in the historic region of Galicia and until the end of World War I it was part of Austria-Hungary. Between the wars Stanisławów, was part of Poland. In 1931 25,000 of the approximately 72,000 inhabitants were Jewish. At the dawn of World War II the Soviet Union occupied Eastern Poland, as agreed in the Molotov-Ribbentrop-Pact. Stanisławów too was annexed by the USSR. Many Jews fled from the German-occupied regions of Poland to Stanisławów. When the German Wehrmacht attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Hungarian troops allied with Germany occupied the city on July 2, 1941. In the summer of 1941 the Hungarian authorities deported thousands of Jews from the bordering region of Transcarpathia to Galicia, many of them came to Stanisławów. When the German Wehrmacht took over the administration by the end of July 1941, about 40,000 Jews stayed in the city. At that time Hans Krüger, SS-commander of the Security Police (SiPo), started planning the murdering of tens of thousands of Jews in Stanisławów. On the morning of October 12, 1941 approximately 20,000 Jews had to assemble at various places, from there they were chased to the Jewish cemetery by police and Ukrainian auxiliary police. The Jews had to line up in rows of 200 at two prepared pits and were shot dead one after another by the SS-men, Hans Krüger among them. At nightfall Krüger abandoned the »Aktion« with about 10,000 Jews dead, approximately 10,000 survivors returning to Stanisławów. In December 1941 all 30,000 Jews had to move to a ghetto. The SS constantly murdered Jews in Stanisławów, also from the city's surroundings. In spring and autumn of 1942 respectively the SS and Ukrainian police deported 5,000 Jews to the extermination camp of Bełżec. When the SS dissolved the ghetto in January 1943 all remaining Jews were shot.
Image: Stanislau, about 1900, Israelite temple, Tomasz Wiśniewski
Stanislau, about 1900, Israelite temple, Tomasz Wiśniewski

Image: Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, The temple today, only partially used as synagogue, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, The temple today, only partially used as synagogue, Christian Herrmann
Up to 40,000 Jews died in Stanisławów altogether. The SS shot the Jewish men, women and children on the Jewish cemetery of Stanisławów. Aproximately 10,000 Jews were deported from Stanisławów to Bełżec and murdered there.
Image: Stanisławów, about 1941, Jewish forced labourers in front of the town hall, Yad Vashem
Stanisławów, about 1941, Jewish forced labourers in front of the town hall, Yad Vashem

Image: Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Memorial to the murdered Jews from neighbouring Bohorodchany, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Memorial to the murdered Jews from neighbouring Bohorodchany, Christian Herrmann
The mass graves of the murdered Jews of Stanisławów are still in the Jewish cemetery. Step-by-step several memorials were erected. A first memorial dates back to the 1960s. Typically for memorials from Soviet times the memorial doesn't mention Jews as victims but »peaceful soviet citizens«. Only in the 1990s a memorial stone was erected, remembering as per inscription 120,000 Jews who fell victim to the Holocaust. On the Jewish cemetery there are also many memorial stones, erected by private persons.
Before 1961 there was the old Jewish cemetery of Stanisławów as well, until the Soviet city administration had it levelled and a cinema was built on the site. There is only a small Jewish community living in the city now. After the collapse of the Soviet Union they got back their Great Synagogue, dating back to the late 19th century. However, they only use a small part of the building, the rest is let to shops.
Image: Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Holocaust memorial on the Jewish cemetery, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Holocaust memorial on the Jewish cemetery, Christian Herrmann

Image: Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Memorial complex on the Jewish cemetery, Christian Herrmann
Ivano-Frankivsk, 2013, Memorial complex on the Jewish cemetery, Christian Herrmann
Name
Pamjatnyk golokosta na jewrejskom kladowyschtsche
Address
prov. Matrosovoi
76010 Stanislawiw/Iwano-Frankiwsk
Open
The memorials are accessible at all times.