US Commission No. ROCE-0179
The cemetery is located at Sirioara, no. 127, code 4416, judet Bistrita, Romania, 4706 2417, 203.8 miles NNW of Bucharest and 26 km. from Bistrita. Alternate names are Sarvar (Hungarian) and Schart (German). Present town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Chirlajan Viorel, Sieu Odorhei
- The Jewish Community of Bistrita, Gr. Balan Street, 71, cod 4400, Bistrita, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Street no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Street 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: Vultur Anita, Sirioara, no. 127
The 1850 Jewish population by census was eighteen and twenty in 1930 census In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Bistrita and on June 2 and 6 were deported to Auschwitz.
The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial was 20th century.
The isolated rural/agricultural hillside has no sign or marker. Reached via private property, access is open with permission. A fence with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre- and post-WWII size was 1500 m. 20-100 stones are visible. 1-20 stones are not in original location. Less than 25% 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. The granite flat shaped and smoothed, inscribed, and carved relief decorated gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent properties are a village setting with houses, gardens, orchards, and pastures. Visitors are rare at the never-vandalized cemetery. Maintenance has been re-erection of stones and clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by unpaid individuals. No structures.
Cosmina Popa, Tatra Street 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 Vultur Anita, Sirioara. [January 2003]