Mielec memorial honors the city's lost Jewish community

A memorial event titled ‘Mieleccy sprawiedliwi’ was held at the State Music School in Mielec to commemorate the history of the city’s Jewish community.

Before World War II, approximately 5,000 Jews lived in Mielec, accounting for nearly half of the city’s 11,000 residents. The community was integral to the local economy, operating bakeries, shops, warehouses, and serving as traders, drivers, and rabbis.

The community's presence was violently ended during the German occupation and the Holocaust, when nearly the entire population was deported. Very few survived or returned to the city. The meeting highlighted the daily lives of these residents, the locations associated with them, and the stories of individuals who risked their lives to help the persecuted during the war.