The federal and state governments of Lower Austria supported the renovation of the listed cemetery with around 1.16 million euros
St. Pölten (OTS/National Fund) – In the presence of numerous representatives from politics, media and culture, the renovated new Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten was ceremonially handed over to the city of St. Pölten today for long-term maintenance.
The Israelitische Kultusgemeinde (IKG) Vienna, as the owner of the cemetery, had the new St. Pölten Jewish cemetery renovated between 2022 and 2024 according to a maintenance agreement with the city of St. Pölten. The Fund for the Repair of Jewish Cemeteries in Austria (Cemetery Fund) financed the renovation with federal funds amounting to around 880,000 euros. The state of Lower Austria supported the renovation with around 280,000 euros.
The event was opened by the President of IKG Vienna Oskar Deutsch. “I am very pleased that the Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten has been successfully renovated and can now officially be handed over to the city of St. Pölten for future care. During the Nazi era, Jewish cemeteries were systematically destroyed and desecrated as part of a broader strategy of exterminating Jewish communities. According to Jewish tradition, burial sites are intended to last until the end of days. It is all the more important for us that the cemetery was able to be restored to a dignified condition after years of decline. Thanks to the fund for the repair of Jewish cemeteries and the support of the state of Lower Austria, it has been possible to preserve and secure part of our Austrian-Jewish cultural heritage in this place and to bring it back to the attention of many Austrians.
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The board member of the National Fund and Cemetery Fund Hannah Lessing: “Since the fund for the repair of Jewish cemeteries was set up 14 years ago, we have achieved a lot together: We have been able to implement 65 renovation projects at 18 Jewish cemeteries with around 14 million euros in federal funds. It is wonderful to see how many people work together to preserve these places of remembrance and save a significant piece of history from being forgotten.
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The mayor of St. Pölten Matthias Stadler: “In this year’s cultural year, the state capital is implementing a comprehensive review of Jewish history with many activities. We are not only renovating our two Jewish cemeteries and are committed to maintaining them for the next few decades, but we have also breathed new life into the former synagogue after extensive construction work. In memory of the darkest time in our history and the crimes of the Nazi reign of terror, our city wants to live up to its historical responsibility with these measures.
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The governor of Lower Austria Johanna Mikl-Leitner: “There were 15 Israelite religious communities in Lower Austria, more than anywhere else in Austria. Today, with a few exceptions, the only reminder of this great diversity of Jewish life in our state is the cemeteries. Therefore, I see it as our great responsibility and duty to keep this memory alive. We want to ensure this by supporting the renovation of the Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten and thus protect a very central part of our cultural heritage.
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The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Fund and the Fund for the Rehabilitation of Jewish Cemeteries in Austria National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka: “Jewish cemeteries are not only places of remembrance, but above all important evidence of Austrian history. It is our historical responsibility to protect them from oblivion. The renovation of Jewish cemeteries is of particular concern to me, as chairman of the board of trustees of the National Fund and the Fund for the Rehabilitation of Jewish Cemeteries. Since the fund was set up in 2010, 13 Jewish cemeteries in Austria have already been successfully repaired. By permanently preserving this cultural heritage, Austria is fulfilling its obligation under international law in accordance with the Washington Agreement and is sending a clear signal for a responsible culture of remembrance. The support from the state of Lower Austria in the renovation of the Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten and the future care by the city clearly show that this is a common concern.
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The repair was carried out in three sub-projects in coordination with the Federal Monuments Office and included master builder, stonemason, locksmith and gardening work. The master builder and general renovation work included the renovation of the ceremonial hall including roof, facade, window, door and interior renovation, the renovation and partial renovation including demolition of the enclosure walls and the renovation of the forecourt. The locksmith work included the renovation of existing enclosures and entrance gates and the wrought iron grave fences as well as the construction of a new double-bar fence. As part of stonemasonry work, static security was carried out by mortising and improving the substructure of the grave complex, cleaning and security measures as well as terrazzo additions to the ceremonial hall. Architect Christoph Kucera from Atelier THU.GUT was responsible for the general planning and construction supervision.
Due to the large number of old trees, the preservation of garden monuments was an essential part of the renovation, in particular the revitalization of the avenues and rows of trees with the new planting of 44 chestnuts, the redesign of the entrance area as well as the revitalization of the trees as well as pruning and care of the historical trees.
A “house of the living” with an eventful history
The new Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten, founded in 1906 and located next to the municipal cemetery at Karlstettner Straße 3, served the local Jewish community as a burial place after the old Jewish cemetery at today’s Pernerstorferplatz was closed around 1904. During National Socialism, the new Jewish cemetery suffered severe damage, and many graves and tombstones were destroyed.
In 1951, the city of St. Pölten had the existing gravestones re-erected, and in 1954 the “Aryanized” cemetery was restituted to the IKG Vienna as the legal successor to the IKG St. Pölten. There is also a gravestone in the cemetery that commemorates the 228 Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers buried here in a mass grave who were shot by the SS in Hofamt Priel near Persenbieg in May 1945. In 2015, with the support of the National Fund, a memorial with the names of those murdered was erected.
Like many Jewish cemeteries in the region, the new Jewish cemetery in St. Pölten reflects the history and culture of the local Jewish community. In total, around 340 people are buried here, and around 188 gravestones have been preserved. Most recently, the doctor Hans Morgenstern, who died in November 2023 and became known as the “last Jew of St. Pölten”, was buried in the Jewish cemetery.
A special feature of the cemetery is the representative ceremonial hall. In Jewish tradition, cemeteries are also called “houses of the living,” indicating that earthly life has come to an end, but not spiritual life. On the newly renovated facade of the building designed by the St. Pölten architect Rudolf Wondracek it is written: “For those who were born, death awaits them and for those who die, they await life.”
Questions & Contact:
National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism
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