Lviv – Jewish Ghetto Memorial

Located opposite the new Territory of Terror Museum is this memorial to those who died in the Lviv Ghetto during the Second World War. It’s located at the site which was once the entrance to the ghetto (known as the Gates of Death), situated near to the still existing main railway line.

The scale of the tragedy here is enormous, as in 1941 there were 220,000 Jews in the city, many who had fled from western parts of Poland. By the time the Soviets liberated the city in 1944 there were only around 750 Jews left.

I didn’t think that the site was in the greatest of condition, there was grass between stones, litter at the memorial and some of the plaques were unreadable.

The monument itself, designed by Luisa Sternstein, which was installed in 1992. The sculpture is of a man in a state of despair, a powerful image.

A large menorah at the entrance to the memorial site. I was slightly surprised that there’s no information in English at the site explaining its relevance, but perhaps this will be changed now that the new museum opposite has started its operations.