Seven Jewish gravestones that were used in construction were found in the ceiling of the basement of a disused house in Golina, Poland.
Virtual Shtetl, quoting local TV in Konin, reports that the stones were discovered by chance by a local history researcher named Krzysztof Grochowski, who had decided to photograph the building before it was torn down.
In the past, the building housed an ice-cream shop and a furniture store. Grochowski was initially intrigued by the unintelligible inscriptions. The removal of old plasterwork revealed seven Jewish headstones in the ceiling.
In all probability, the headstones come from the Jewish cemetery in Golina. Due to its total devastation, there are no matzevos preserved any more. It remains unknown exactly when the headstones were used for the construction of the ceiling in the building, which was erected in the interwar years. It could have happened during or after the Second World War.
The reports say that the stones are in good condition, and still bear traces of polychrome decoration, protected because the stones were placed face-down.
The local monuments preservation office has been informed. It is expected that the stones will either be included in a museum exhibition or used to contruct a memorial at the site of the destroyed Jewish cemetery in Golina.
Read the full Virtual Shtetl story
See video of the discovery on TV Konin