Jewish mementos in Györ-Moson-Sopron Comitatus

Csorna

Before World War II there were 850 persons of Jewish religion in Csorna. They were merchants, in fact, most of the shops on Fö tér (the main square) were Jewish. One could buy everything there. 655 people did not return from the concentration camps, those who were lucky have left Csorna. They synagogue stayed empty and until its demolition in 1968 it was home to several enterprises, a lumber company was the last. None of the tenants ever put money towards maintenance of the building so in 1968 it disappeared for good. A department store and other shops were built in its stead. The neighboring Jewish community of Farád was founded in 1852. In Csorna there were only 12 members. A year later a prayer society was founded which in 1853 already had a prayer house. They then also started with the construction of a synagogue. In a matter of years there were more and more Jews living in Csorna, the prayer house was enlarged to be the synagogue. There was also a Jewish school which 20 children attended. And from 1885 on they had theire own cemetery which still is around today.

Cemetery, Bartók Béla út

After 1945 the cemetery was subject to decay. With the political turn of 1990 the possibility of saving the cemetery through renovation opened up. Ironically, the cemetery was not only revived through visitors but also threw new burials. Apart from Györ and Mosomagyar-óvár, it is the third cemetery of the comitatus which also holds new tombstones.

Memorial

Thanks to the initiative of retired Károly Kovács a memorial honoring the Jewish victims was put up in Csorna. The project was financially supported by persons of Csorna origin now living in Jerusalem as well as the municipality. Jewish organizations also contributed to its realization. The memorial is a design by architect István Szeredics, it displays the names of every victim of the Holocaust from Csorna.

by Scholem Alejchem & Alexandra Vogt

2012.06.01