Istraživanje židovske baštine u Hrvatskoj: židovska groblja

Abstract

The Jewish heritage is represented by a number of elements: the Jewish quarter, Jewish museum, synagogues, local Jewish persons, other smaller objects, squares or streets named after Jewish individuals, Jewish cemetery, monuments and memorial plaques. Of the aforementioned elements, Jewish cemeteries are the most endangered heritage in Europe today. They serve as a primary source and contain important cultural-historical and genealogical data. Researching a cemetery involves study of the space in which it is located, how that space is organized and the reading of tombstones. For Jewish cemeteries, it is important to determine their spatial, functional, and aesthetic design through an interdisciplinary approach. The work consists of field research (observation) and the desk method (content analysis). It is conducted on three levels: the cemetery, the tombstone and the grave’s frame, and the epitaph. The goal is not only to examine tombstones, but also the topography of the space that they occupy. This paper presents the first results of research on Jewish cemeteries in Croatia based on field work and the methodology that will be used for the study of Jewish cemeteries. The fieldwork determined the criteria for selecting cemeteries that will be further studied in greater detail, of which there are a total of 65 in Croatia. Of the 65 cemeteries, 14 have the legal status of protected cultural space and two are preventively protected according to the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. The next phase of research is to evaluate and interpret cemeteries as the largest component of the remaining material heritage.