Treasure trove of Jewish silver found near Holocaust ghetto site in Poland. Take a look
As World War II began in Europe, Jews in Poland buried a treasure trove with hundreds of silver items. The treasure remained hidden for over 80 years, forgotten until now.
Construction crews in Łódź were excavating a street outside a tenement house when a worker noticed something unusual, the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Łódź said in a Jan. 3 news release. The construction crews immediately alerted local archaeologists.
Buried in the ground were over 280 metal items, many plated in silver, found by archaeologists.
Some items, such as menorahs, had clear religious connections. These items, coupled with the estimated age of the finds, lead archaeologists to conclude Jewish people buried the treasure at the beginning of WWII.
The treasure trove was unearthed near the former site of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto where Nazis imprisoned Jewish people during the Holocaust, the Associated Press and Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.
Before WWII and the Holocaust, Łódź boasted “one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. About 31% of the city’s inhabitants, or just over 230,000 people, were Jewish.
Only around 10,000 Jews from Łódź survived to the end of WWII, the outlet reported.
The buried Jewish treasure contained candlesticks, cutlery, a napkin holder, a glass toiletry set, salad bowls, and a cigarette case, officials said. Photos show some of the finds.
The treasure trove was found in December, and two menorahs were lit during Hanukkah celebrations, the Associated Press reported.
The artifacts will be donated to the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Łódź, officials said.
Łódź is about 80 miles west of Warsaw.
Facebook Translate and Google Translate were used to translate the news release from the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Łódź.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Treasure trove of Jewish silver found near Holocaust ghetto site in Poland. Take a look."
