The Book of Zgierz, Volume II

About This Book

Zgierz is one of the oldest cities in central Poland, with the earliest known mention dating back to 1231. Jews first settled there in the mid-18^th century. The town is about 73 miles from Warsaw and nine miles from Lodz. In the years prior to the Second World War, Zgierz was a city of about 40,000 people, of which 5,000 were Jews. About 80% of the Jewish population were employed in the textile industry. The others were involved with trade and business.

The pages of this book, Volume II, are a supplement to the first Yizkor book of Zgierz that was published eleven years earlier in 1975. The editors of the first book announced their intention at the time to find a home for the large amount of material that remained unused in their hands.

Its chapters brim with memories, stories, and personal testimonies regarding communal life, the town's glorious past, and the horrors of the Holocaust. The book begins with “Chapters of History” followed by an exploration of “Orthodox Zgierz,” strongly dominated by Hassidic traditions and culture. Memories abound in the sections that include “Sketches of Personalities and Characters” and “Folklore.” The accounts in the section on “Holocaust and Destruction” are a continuation of that section in the first book.

Place Details

Zgierz, Poland is located at 51°51' N 19°25' E and 73 miles WSW of Warsaw

Alternate names of the Town:

Zgierz [Pol], Zgerzh [Yid], Zgezh [Rus], Görnau [Ger, 1943-45], Zgerzsh, Zgiezh, Zgyerz

Nearby Jewish Communities:

Aleksandrów Łódzki 5 miles WSW
Łódź 7 miles SSE
Konstantynów Łódzki 8 miles SSW
Stryków 9 miles ENE
Ozorków 10 miles NW
Parzęczew 11 miles NW
Lutomiersk 11 miles SW
Pabianice 13 miles S
Rzgów 13 miles SSE
Andrzejów 14 miles SE
Brzeziny 15 miles ESE
Piątek 15 miles N
Głowno 16 miles ENE
Łęczyca 17 miles NNW
Bielawy 18 miles NNE
Tuszyn 18 miles SSE
Poddębice 20 miles W

← All JewishGen Press Titles