Jewish mementos in Györ-Moson-Sopron Comitatus

Beled

Cemetery

The largest cemetery of the Györ-Moson-Sopron comitatus is in Beled, 902 tombstones are visible here. Most of them carry Hebrew inscriptions, the old stones testify to the fact that the Jewish community formed part of the history of the greater community.

According to the first written records there were already Jews living in Beled in 1714. In 1816 the Jewish community counted 145 members, in 1831 had 47 families, 240 persons in total. The synagogue was built around that time, it survived World War II and was torn down in the 1960s. In 1861 a school with two classrooms for 41 children was built. Its teacher was Simon Fried, Jakob Rehberger the assistant teacher. As for a sports field the Jewish community bought a communal plot of land which was used by students of all three churches. The Beled Jewish community was officially founded in 1871, its members were from Beled and forty surrounding villages, all of its members were orthodox. In the beginning of the 20th century a school for religious education was founded as well.

Apart from the cemetery all traces of Jewish life in the area have vanished. This cemetery was founded in 1820. The last burial here was held in 1983. Like most rural Jewish cemeteries, it was subject to decay for the longest time. In 2002 the municipal administration of Beled placed the cemetery under preservation order had it restored with the help of fellow Jews living abroad. It can now proudly welcome its visitors coming back from Israel, the United States and South America.

by Scholem Alejchem & Alexandra Vogt

2012.05.31