Jewish Heritage Sites

The Oswiecim Synagogue (Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue) on Plac Ksiedza Jana Skarbka is the only surviving Jewish house of worship in Oswiecim. Built in 1913, it was used as a warehouse during the Nazi occupation, which is what saved it from destruction when all other synagogues in town were burned. The building has been restored and now houses a small museum documenting the Jewish community of Oswiecim before the war.

Nearby, the Great Synagogue Memorial Park marks the site where the town's main synagogue — a large 19th-century building — once stood. The memorial is a quiet garden with explanatory panels. A few minutes' walk from the main synagogue, the Jewish Cemetery contains graves dating back several centuries, though much of it was destroyed during the occupation. These sites together offer a counterpoint to the camp complex — a reminder that Oswiecim had a thriving, diverse community before 1939, not just a history of destruction.

things to do sight museum
A story
Before the war, Oswiecim (known by its Yiddish name Oshpitzin) had a Jewish population of around 8,000 — roughly half the town's total. Almost none survived. The Chevra Lomdei Mishnayot Synagogue, built in 1913, is the only pre-war Jewish building still standing in town; every other synagogue was destroyed. It was restored in 2000 and now serves as a place of remembrance.