Broken Memories
Broken Memories by Yosef Kutner, published by JewishGen, Incorporated in June 2022, is a detailed exploration of gravestone fragments recovered in Kutno, Poland. This edition spans 180 pages and is presented in English. The book compiles photographs of these fragments, which have been meticulously cleaned, numbered, and stored since their recovery in the 1980s. It highlights the efforts of a group of descendants of Jews from Kutno who, in 2008, utilized computer-scanned images to reconstruct nearly half of the fragments into 159 gravestones, or matzevot.
Readers will find a comprehensive account of the gravestones, most of which feature the names of the deceased and their fathers, along with dates of death. The book also integrates genealogical data to recover missing family names, enhancing the historical context of these memorials. Through its focus on history and Jewish heritage, Broken Memories provides insight into the cultural significance of these gravestones and the ongoing efforts to preserve the memory of the Jewish community in Europe.
Official synopsis Publisher
The pictures of gravestones in this book have been put together from pictures of the fragments, recovered since the 1980s by the municipality of Kutno.
Seven hundred fragments were recovered in the surroundings walls and pavement, during years of tireless work. The fragments have been cleaned, numbered, photographed and stored in a storage room in Kutno, awaiting a proper moment.
That moment came, in mid-2008, when a new group of descendants of Jews from Kutno was formed. Using
computer-scanned pictures of the fragments, it was possible to put together nearly half of them into 159 more or
less complete gravestones (matzevot). Among these, only a small part displayed a family name, as was usual on
matzevot of that time (family names were enforced on Polish Jews at the beginning of the 19th century). For the
most part, they displayed only the name of the deceased, that of his or her father, and the date of death. Comparing
the matzeva data with that of our genealogical database, it was possible to recover some of the missing information
and especially the family names. This data was added in this book.
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