The city of Tallinn is planning to develop the site of the destroyed Old Jewish Cemetery into a memorial area, with informational panels, according to Estonian Public Radio. The project is in its drafting stage, with an expected budget of up to €40,000.
The cemetery, on Magasini street in the Veerenni district, functioned from probably the late 18th century until the New Cemetery at Rahumäe was opened in 1909. It was surrounded by a limestone wall and had some impressive mausolea, a funeral hall and a second chapel, as well as an elaborate gate.
It was destroyed by Soviet authorities in the 1960s and a car park and garages were built on the site in 1967.
All that is visible today is a commemorative marble slab, whose inscription in Estonian reads (in translation): “Here was the Jewish cemetery from the eighteenth century until the end of the 1960s.”
The English-language service of Estonian Public Broadcasting on March 6 quoted city official Vladimir Svet as saying that “A memorial area will be made where the burial site was, which will be separated from the rest of the area. Meadow plants will be planted, information boards will be installed which explain the history of the cemetery, and we will probably try to highlight the foundations of the larger chapel so people who walk there have an idea of what was once there.”
The city plans to spend up to €40,000 on the project, but it is too early to discuss the cost of cleaning up the cemetery, as it is still at the draft level. Svet said the city wants to complete the design work this year and submit a proposal for financing the work next year.
A year ago, in April 2019, archaeological work was carried out at the site in preparation for the planned renovation and creation of a memorial area. The Tallinn city web site said the aim was “to obtain data on the historical gateway and the foundations of the chapels and to specify the extent of the funeral site.” The work was carried out by an archaeology NGO commissioned by the City Planning Department’s Heritage Department, in cooperation with the Jewish community.
At the time, Svet said:
Until the results of archaeological research are known, it is too early to talk about how the cemetery will look in the future. However, I emphasize that there is no plan to build there, but that the area of the funeral must be duly demarcated and marked so that each passer-by is clear about what it is. The location of the former gatehouse and a small garden with no graves could provide a relaxing area for walking, sitting and contemplating.
Read the full report on the English Public Radio service
See a photo documentation of the site today by Jono David
See photo documentation, with historic photos, on the Estonian Jewish Museum site
Read the April 2019 report on the archaeology
See a history of the cemetery, with old maps and photos (in Russian)