Alternate names: Beclean [Rom], Bethlen [Hun], Betlen, Bethlensdorf. 47°11' N, 24°11' E, 3 towns named 'Beclean' in Romania. This one is near Dej, with which it shares a Yizkor book.1920 Jewish population: 666.10,403 is 2011 population. Villages are Coldău (Goldau; Várkudu), Figa (Füge) and Rusu de Jos (Alsóoroszfalu). It is the site of an important railway junction (the station is called Beclean pe Someş), where secondary routes to Sighetu Marmaţiei and Suceava diverge from the main railway line from Braşovto Satu Mare.
Dés..., Bethlen, Magyarlápos, Retteg, Nagyilonda és környéke
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Romania, Vol. 2 (1980), p. 104: "Beclean"
- JewishGen Hungary SIG
- JewishGen Romania SIG
BECLEAN 1
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [June 2016]
The cemetery is located in Beclean, 1 Decembrie 1918 Str., cod 4575, judet Bistrita, Romania at 4711 2411, 211.1 miles NNW of Bucharest and 49 km from Bistrita. Alternate name: Bethlen (Hungarian). Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.
-
- Mayor Moldovan Nicolae, 1 Decembrie 1918 Str. no. 5, tel. 063/340459, Beclean
- The Jewish Community of Bistrita, Gr. Balan Str., 71, cod 4400, Bistrita, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str. no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Str. no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Key holder and caretaker: Goron Ioan, Coldau, no. 71
The 1850 Jewish population by census was 163, in 1857 was 177, and in 1930 was 671. In 1805, a synagogue in Beclean was registered. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Dej and on May 28, June 6-8, 1944 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 18th century. Last known burial was 1950.
The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 20 m x 20 m. 20-100 stones are visible. 1-20 stones are not in original location. 50%-75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a constant problem disturbing stones. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections. Tombstones date from the 18th century. The granite, sandstone
marble, and limestone common gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves.
The national Jewish community owns the property used for recreation. Adjacent properties are recreational and commercial/industrial use. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose a smaller area due to a housing development. Rarely does anyone visit.
The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. Maintenance has been re-erection of stones and clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by unpaid individuals. No structures. Security is a very severe threat because the cemetery has no fence. Vegetation is a moderate threat because there was a lot of grass growing on the graves. Incompatible nearby development is a moderate threat. The cemetery sits amid many houses that could threaten it.
Cosmina Popa, Tatra Str. no. 4, tel. 064/ 128764, Cluj Napoca, 3400 and Ioana Raiciu, Bd. 21 Decembrie, 13-15, 064/190849, Cluj-Napoca, 3400 visited the site and completed the survey on July 21, 2000 using the following documentation:
- The General Census of the Population of Transylvania- 1850, Ed. Staff, 1996
- Ernest Wager, Historisch- Statistisches- Ortsnamenbuch fur Siebenburgen-, Ed. Bohlau, 1977
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. Istoria evreilor din Transilvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localităţilor din Transilvania, I-II, Bucharest, 1968.
- Recensamintul general al populatiei din Transilvania-1930 decembrie 29, I-III, Bucharest, 1938
They interviewed Goron Ioan, Coldau. [January 2003]
BECLEAN 2
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [June 2016]
The cemetery is located in Beclean, Codrului Str. no. 33., cod 4575, judet Bistrita, Romania. See BECLEAN I for town information.
The cemetery was established in 19th century. Noteworthy individuals buried in the Orthodox cemetery: three tsadakim in the chapel that is landmarked. Last known burial was 1973, Dr. Fried. The isolated suburban hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open with permission. A fence with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size is 100 m x 80 m. 100-500 stones are visible. 1-20 stones are in original location. 100-500 stones are not in original location. 25%-50% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. Tombstones date from the 19th century. The marble, granite, sandstone, and limestone gravestones, some with traces of painting on their surfaces, have Hebrew and Romanian inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent property is another cemetery.
Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been re-erection of stones, patching broken stones, clearing vegetation, and wall repair. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by individuals. The caretaker pays a fee to the Jewish Community from Bistrita for using the land for agriculture. Within the limits of the cemetery is the chapel.
Cosmina Popa, Tatra Str. no. 4, tel. 064/ 128764, Cluj Napoca, 3400 and Ioana Raiciu, Bd. 21 Decembrie, 13-15, 064/190849, Cluj-Napoca, 3400 visited the site and completed the survey on July 25, 2000 using the following documentation:
- The General Census of the Population of Transylvania- 1850, Ed. Staff, 1996
- Ernest Wager, Historisch- Statistisches- Ortsnamenbuch fur Siebenburgen-, Ed. Bohlau, 1977
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. Istoria evreilor din Transilvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localităţilor din Transilvania, I-II, Bucharest, 1968.
- Recensamintul general al populatiei din Transilvania-1930 decembrie 29, I-III, Bucharest, 1938
They interviewed Toma Ioan, Beclean. [January 2003]