The exact date of establishing the Jewish cemetery in Kaunas is not known but this necropolis is really old and it is supposed that the Jewish community had acquired it even in Middle Ages. In the beginning it was a part of the suburban forest, where first gravestones were put, not further than several kilometres from the nearest buildings. Soon the city came closer to the cemetery and now it is already surrounded by houses from all directions. The necropolis had performed its duty till the II World War, when the Germans destroyed most of the tombs using them as building material.

Nowadays the western part of the cemetery - completely damaged treeless grassland without any signs of inhumation - resembles a meadow. In the eastern wooden part, many of tombs have survived but usually without any matzevot. They are put in a regular order, in rows and cemetery sections. Because of impermeable ground, a lower part of cemetery is flooded with water and some singular sticking out the water surface headstones give the unique and remarkable impression of that place.

The cemetery is located in the district of Dainava at Radvilenu plentas. The nearest bus stops are not further than 10 minutes' walk, at the junction Vyduno aleja and Radvilenu plentas (buses 3, 10 20, 21 and 27) and Taikos prospektas and J. Basanavičiaus aleja - plenty more buses and trackless trolleys (trolleybuses). The necropolis is partially surrounded by a concrete wall and a steel fence with the Star of David - an emblem symbolising Judaism. At the western gate, there is a board with some information in Hebrew, Yiddish and Lithuanian. All gates leading to the cemetery are always open, so it is usually busy area as neighbouring residents cross - cut it on their way home, some of them take walks about there, also with their dogs. The whole area is very contaminated and rubbish bags are also thrown over the cemetery fence.

There is also another Jewish necropolis in Kaunas in the district of Aleksotas dated from the 19th century. It came into being in the time when Aleksotas (Polish: Aleksota) was not a part of Kaunas, but it was a separate town situated in Suwałki province (a border between two provinces: Suwałki and Kaunas was on the Nemunas current. Due to the lack of Polish studies, this text is based on some information received from the citizens of Kaunas, so it can contain some mistakes or inaccuracies.

text and photos: Szymon Kucharski
translation: Magda Wojtecka