History
It is the oldest existing cemetery in the city. The date of its creation is not exactly known, but it is assumed that it happened between 1801 and 1805. The area where the cemetery is located belonged previously to the bishop's farm, Psiarnia, which was nationalized in the late eighteenth century, just like other good, owned by the Cracow bishops. The necropolis itself was established as a result of ordering the then Austrian authorities, which for sanitary reasons ordered burying the dead outside the city limits. Previously, the deceased were buried in the collegiate cemetery near the present cathedral basilica, the cemetery at the church of St. Wojciech, and also at the cemetery, which once was located next to the now-defunct Saint Chapel. Leonardo, located at the current Moniuszko Square. In the first years of the existence of the cemetery people of various denominations were buried: Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Uniates. Soldiers taking part in the Napoleonic wars, November and January uprisings, members of the Home Army are also buried in the cemetery. [source: Wikipedia, 1128552]
Area of the cemetery
During its existence, the cemetery was widened to accommodate more graves. In 1818, the cemetery was enlarged towards the north-east. In the years 1860-1862, there was a south development in accordance with the design of Alexander Dunin-Borkowski, and in the period from 1882 to 1884, according to the design of Franciszek Ksawery Kowalski, it was further extended to the south and a wall was built on the current street of Fr. Piotr Ĺciegienny. The final completion of the expansion of the cemetery area took place in 1926, when a new cemetery was marked out in the northern part of Kielce - Piaski. [source: Wikipedia, 1128552]
The issue of confession
At the beginning, the cemetery was not divided according to religion and the whole area was part of it. When an Evangelical parish was founded in 1836 (activities aimed at its creation were undertaken from 1812), the Evangelical Cemetery and the Muslim quarters were separated from the cemetery. Due to the large number of Russians living in the city, in 1851 work began on the creation of a separate Orthodox cemetery, which ended with its creation in 1865. The official connection of a team of religious necropolis in one municipal cemetery took place in 1969. [source: Wikipedia, 1128552]
Register of monuments
On October 30, 1980, the Old Cemetery was pulled in by the decision of the Provincial Conservator of Monuments to the register of immovable monuments (reg. No: A.331 from 30.10.1980)
Known burials
The cemetery is well-known and well-deserved for the region. Their burial places are here, among others: * Franciszek Ksawery Kowalski - a Kielce architect in a cast-iron, neo-gothic tombstone, on which stands a stone sculpture depicting the Mother of God with the Child; * BronisĹaw Saski - an activist of the Charity Society, owner of a pharmacy and a tenement at the market, buried in a black, granite tomb; * Zbigniew Kruszelnicki - lieutenant of the Home Army (pseudonym Wilk), who died in Miedziana GĂłra in the fight against the Germans; * Antonina Marcela Gombrowicz - mother of the writer Witold Gombrowicz; * Wiktor JaroĹski - Kielce lawyer, a long-time member of the Polish Circle in the State Duma. * Leon PajÄ
k - lieutenant of the Polish Army, defender of Westerplatte, decorated with the Order of Virtuti Militari. Honorary Citizen of Kielce. [source: Wikipedia, 1128552]
