Historic Tombs Restored at Rzeszów Old Cemetery

8 July 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

City-funded Old Cemetery Rzeszow restoration begins, renewing 19th-century graves and seeking archival photos.

The city of Rzeszów launched a new phase of conservation work at the Old Cemetery on Targowa Street. Consequently, the Old Cemetery Rzeszow restoration will include a full renovation of a 19th-century tomb and maintenance of other historic markers.

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What the city is doing now

The municipal government awarded nearly 50,000 PLN for this stage. Moreover, the contractor is OrTech Paweł Wójcik from Radom. However, teams will first prepare conservation programmes. In addition, they must secure permits from the regional monuments conservator. Therefore, the city expects to finish documentation and permissions by November.

Which graves will be conserved

The most complex task will restore the tomb of Karolina Wodzińska, who lived from 1800 to 1871. Moreover, crews will repair the grave crosses of Leopold Praschill and Ludwika Zennermanowa. Consequently, workers will also stabilise an unnamed grave by fitting a new base. In addition, this base will allow teams to reunite original fragments of the monument.

Why this cemetery matters

The Old Cemetery dates to 1792 and covers 3.65 hectares. Therefore, it stands as Rzeszów’s oldest necropolis and one of Poland’s oldest cemeteries. Moreover, roughly 40,000 people rest there, including local notables, insurgents, civic activists, and wartime victims. In addition, most surviving tombs date from the late 19th century. Consequently, many monuments originated in respected stone workshops in Lviv, Kraków, and Rzeszów. The city placed the site on the monuments register in 1968.

Five years of restoration work

Between 2021 and 2025, Rzeszów invested almost 250,000 PLN in historic tomb conservation. Moreover, the city renewed 19 graves during that period. In addition, restorations included the resting places of Ignacy Schaitter and Jakób Holzer. Therefore, the programme balances heritage care with public budgets.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you research family history, note that Polish records often sit in parish books and civil registers. In addition, municipal requests do not require a PESEL number (PESEL is the national ID number). However, you will need to follow local rules for photography on public grounds. Moreover, sharing old photos helps restorers recreate lost details. Therefore, you can contact the City Greenery Board via phone at 17 748 37 44 or by email to share images of the Old Cemetery. Also, some administrative terms you may hear include ZUS (social insurance), NFZ (national health fund), and mandat (a police fine). These terms do not affect simple photo donations.

For expats, the project shows how Poland manages local heritage. Consequently, the municipality funds conservation through municipal budgets and tendered contracts. Moreover, the process needs conservation programmes approved by heritage authorities. Therefore, expect careful documentation and limited on-site work times to respect visitors.

City officials invite residents to share archival photos, especially shots of specific gravestones. In addition, photographs can guide accurate restorations and help identify lost inscriptions. However, volunteers should avoid disturbing graves or removing items without permission.

Finally, this initiative highlights civic ties to local history. Moreover, it creates a chance for genealogists and community historians to cooperate with the city. Therefore, if you live in Rzeszów, consider checking family albums for old cemetery images.

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