Fragments of about one hundred Jewish tombstones have been recovered from the bed of the River Warta in the locality of Mstów, the Silesian province.

They come from the local cemetery which was devastated by the Germans during World War Two.

The discovery was made by a team of archeologists from the University of Łodź. Its member, Olgierd Ławrynowicz, has told the Polish Press Agency that some fragments of the tombstones contain Hebrew-language inscriptions and symbols relating to the profession of the deceased persons.

He said that following the destruction of the cemetery, some of the tombstones were used as pavements. The discovery, he adds, is a highly valuable source of information pertaining to the life of the Jewish community in Mstów prior to WWII.

Jews accounted for some 30 per cent of the town’s population.

They had a synagogue and a cemetery which was founded at the end of the 19th century. All that has survived are a few tombstones and fragments of the cemetery wall. (mk/rg)