Vama (Hungarian: Vámfalu) is a rural municipality and village of 3,844 inhabitants in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania.
US Commission No. ROCE-0597 -
The cemetery is located in Vama, at 4750 2324, 267.9 miles NNW of Bucharest and 4 km from Negresti Oas. The alternate name is Vamfalu (Hungarian.) Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Fanea Mihai, Town Hall of Vama, judet Satu Mare, Romania
- The Jewish Community of Satu Mare, Decebal Street no. 4A, 3900 Satu Mare, Romania, tel. 0040-61-713703
- 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.
- "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi Street, no. 15, 6400- Iasi Judet Iasi, Moldavia , Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Key holder and caretaker: Crisan Ioan, Talna Str. no. 717
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 128, by 1900 census was 177 Jewish inhabitants and in 1930 was 213 Jewish inhabitants. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Satu Mare and on May 19, 22, 26, 29, 30, 31, and June 1 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox, Hasidic c cemetery was established in second half of the 19th century. Last known burial was inter-war period.
The isolated rural/agricultural hillside has no sign or marker. Reached via private property, access is open with permission. A fence with a non-locking gate surrounds the site. Approximate pre-WWII size is unknown. Approximate post-WWII size is 20 x 54 m. 1-20 stones are visible, some 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. The oldest known gravestone dates from second half of the 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble and sandstone flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed common gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery and orchard. Adjacent properties are in village residential setting with houses, gardens, orchards, and pastures. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been cleaning stones and clearing vegetation. Current unpaid care is regular caretaker. No structures. Weather erosion is a moderate threat.
Claudia Ursutiu, Pietroasa Str. no. 21, 3400 Cluj Napoca, Romania, tel. 0040-64-151073 visited the site and completed the survey in July 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1880. Transilvania (1880 Transylvania Jewish Population Census.) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj 1997.
- Recensamantul din 1900. (1900 Transylvania Jewish Population Census) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj, 1999
- Recensamantul general al populatiei din 29 decembrie 1930 (The General Census of the Population from December 29, 1930), vol. II, Bucuresti 1938
Recensamintul general al populatiei din Romania din 7 ianuarie 1992 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from January 7, 1992), vol. I, Bucuresti, 1994 - Zsido Lexicon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
- Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania (Sources and Testimonies on the Jews in Romania), vol. III/1-2, coord. L. Gyemant, L. Benjamin, Bucuresti, Ed. Hasefer, 1999
- Ladislau Gyemant, Evreii din Transilvania in epoca emanciparii, 1790-1867 (The Jews of Transylvania in the Age of Emancipation 1790-1867), Bucuresti, ed, Enciclopedica, 2000
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The Historical Dictionary of Localities in Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967
- Otto Mitelstrass, Historisch-Landeskundlicher Atlas von Siebenburgen, Ortsnamenbuch, Heidelberg, 1992
- Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu interviewed Crisan Ioan in Vama [January 2003]