US Commission No. ROCE-0264 -
The cemetery is located at Uriu, near the village, cod 4578, judet Bistrita, 4712 2403, 215.0 miles NNW of Bucharest and 15 km. from Dej. Alternate names are Uri and Felor (Hungarian).Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [June 2016]
- Mayor Oprea Gheorghe, Uriu
- 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: Bot Lazar, Uriu, no. 244, tel. 175
The 1850 Jewish population by census was 29 and in 1930 was 42. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Dej and on May 28, June 6-8 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial in 1930.
The isolated rural/agricultural hill has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate or with a gate that locks. [sic] Approximate pre-and post-WWII size was 1400 m. 1-20 stones are visible, some 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 a seasonal problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year. No special sections.
Tombstones date from the 19th century. The limestone flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop at the never vandalized cemetery. Maintenance has been re-erecting and cleaning vegetation, clearing vegetation, and fixing gate. 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 20, 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
- Singer Zoltan, Volt egyszer egy Des,Bethlen? es kornyeke, I-II, Tel Aviv, 1970.
They interviewed Bot Lazar, Uriu. [January 2003]