How to Preserve Deteriorating Material Heritage and Reconstruct What Has Been Lost?

Context

The Matzevot 3D project is influenced by the historical presence of the Jewish Community in Wrocław (Poland; formerly Breslau, Germany), which had a significant cultural and social impact on the city’s development. Jewish cemeteries in Wrocław reflect the artistic and architectural styles of different periods, showcasing past cultural trends. However, factors such as time, war, pollution, vandalism, and adverse weather conditions have contributed to the gradual deterioration of these historical sites.

Over the years, Wrocław’s Jewish Community has undergone significant transformations. WWII and the Holocaust, post-war expulsions, and Communist-era neglect led to the near disappearance of the once-thriving Jewish presence. Cemeteries fell into decay due to destruction, urban development, and changing social dynamics. Some Jewish heritage sites were saved and restored, while others were neglected or repurposed. The cemeteries in Wrocław have suffered various levels of damage and transformation. The cemeteries at ul. Ślężna (former Lohestrasse) and ul. Lotnicza (former Flughafenstrasse), although still standing and restored to some extent, have faced degradation due to environmental and human factors. The cemetery at ul. Gwarna (former Claassenstrasse) was demolished in stages starting in the pre-war period and built over with residential buildings in the post-war era.

Jewish cemeteries serve as both historical records and memorials to the once-thriving Jewish Community. The Matzevot 3D project seeks to document these burial sites digitally, ensuring that the history they contain is not lost. By scanning and reconstructing matzevot (Jewish gravestones), the project provides insight into the lives and identities of individuals buried there. For the first time, selected Jewish gravestones in Wrocław are available in digital form. Additionally, some inscriptions were deciphered and lost histories reconstructed. The project represents a significant step in cultural preservation and digital humanities, ensuring that Wrocław’s Jewish heritage is not forgotten.

The project is a collaboration between multiple organizations and researchers, including:

Highlights

Successful Digitization of nearly 30 Matzevot. 3D scanning and photogrammetry were successfully applied to tombstones from all three Jewish cemeteries of Wrocław/Breslau, ensuring their preservation in digital form.

Reconstruction of Lost Matzevot. One of the most remarkable achievements of the project was the digital reconstruction based on archival documentation of completely lost gravestones from the destroyed Jewish cemetery at Gwarna Street.

Reconstruction of Forgotten Microhistories. By analyzing inscriptions, historical records, and archival materials, the project team was able to recover some personal stories of individuals buried in Wrocław’s Jewish cemeteries. By integrating digital tools with historical investigation, the project demonstrates the application and utility of digital humanities in recovering untold stories.

Webinars on Digitization and Memory Studies: The project featured a series of online public sessions disseminating and promoting the results of digital documentation and research. High-profile discussions featuring experts showcased the role of digital tools in heritage conservation and collective memory.

Broad Educational Outreach: Participation from institutions across Poland, including primary schools, high schools, universities, and art academies, ensured that knowledge of digital heritage preservation reached diverse age groups and communities. Students and educators from both urban and rural areas were actively engaged, fostering wider appreciation for Jewish heritage and digital humanities.

Bridging the gap between history and technology. By integrating historical research with advanced visualization tools, the project demonstrates how technology can help recover elements of history once thought to be irretrievably lost.

Public Access to Research and 3D Models: The publication of findings on the UMF website and the release of 3D models on Sketchfab, an online platform hosting the models, ensure long-term accessibility for researchers, descendants, and the wider public.

Challenges 

Level of destruction. One of the main challenges was the identification and documentation of the gravestones, especially in cases where inscriptions were eroded, damaged, or covered by vegetation. The 18th-century Jewish cemetery in Wrocław (Gwarna St.) was destroyed and built over, making it impossible to locate original gravestones at the site. Additionally, historical records and archival documents related to the cemeteries are often incomplete, scattered, or difficult to access, requiring extensive research and collaboration with multiple institutions.

Challenges of Conducting Activities in Public Spaces. The project involved scanning of gravestones in active cemeteries (Lotnicza St.), or at the Museum site (Ślężna St.), requiring careful planning to respect religious and cultural traditions, as well as the needs of visitors.

Balancing Historical Memory with Nature and Public Space. Preserving Jewish cemeteries means addressing conflicting interests between historical conservation, urban development, and environmental concerns. Some gravestones are surrounded by trees and plants that have grown over time, creating a dilemma between restoring historical elements and preserving the natural environment. The integration of digital documentation, such as 3D scanning, helps to access and safeguard memory without physical intervention, minimizing disruption to both heritage sites and nature.

Solutions 

3D Scanning and Modeling Technology – The project employs high-resolution 3D scanning to digitally preserve gravestones, allowing for detailed documentation without physical intervention. Available functions make it possible to analyze a 3D model without the texture of a given object, revealing its important details. This method helps restore illegible inscriptions, view the object without its texture, and create an interactive digital archive.

Virtual Reconstruction – In cases where gravestones were destroyed, digital tools enable the reconstruction of lost elements based on existing documentation by Alfred Grotte, old photographs, and documentation of grave inscriptions.

Digital Atlases – Scanned gravestones and reconstructed inscriptions are made accessible online, allowing researchers, families, and the public to explore Wrocław’s Jewish heritage remotely.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration – The project combines expertise in history, digital humanities, conservation, and technology, ensuring a comprehensive and accurate representation of the cemeteries.

Storytelling and Microhistories – By retrieving personal histories of those buried in the cemeteries, the project brings individual narratives to life, making history more engaging and relatable.

Description

The activities within this project were divided into four steps:

  • Research and scholarly analysis of selected matzevot (Jewish tombstones)
  • Digital documentation of 26 matzevot, which included 3D scanning, photogrammetry, photography, and 3D modeling
  • Publication of research findings, including microhistories and 3D models on UMF website
  • Webinars and promotion of results and advocacy for the use of digital humanities tools

UMF digitized selected matzevot from all three Breslau/Wrocław Jewish cemeteries. That included the destroyed 18th century Jewish cemetery at Gwarna Street, former Claassenstrasse (3 models – reconstruction), the 19th century Old Jewish Cemetery at Ślężna Street, former Lohestrasse, currently the Museum of Cemetery Art, a branch of the City Museum of Wrocław (8 models) and the 20th century New Jewish Cemetery at Lotnicza Street, former Flughafenstrasse (15 models), which currently serves the Jewish Community of Wrocław.

The matzevot selected for digital documentation were chosen by the UMF team in consultation with experts, including Dr. Renata Wilkoszewska-Krakowska, curator of the Museum of Cemetery Art in Wrocław, and Piotr Gotowicki, former caretaker of the New Jewish cemetery on Lotnicza Street in Wrocław. The material heritage chosen for digitization was based on the following criteria: tombstones representing various architectural styles, those showing a critical state of preservation or those with unique sculptural motifs, belonging to various social groups among the pre-war Jewish community, well-known families and individuals (i.e. scholars, rabbis, entrepreneurs) as well as regular citizens with unknown personal stories (i.e. children, women).

The digitization process was carried out in close cooperation with local partners:  Fundacja Akcelerator Obywatelski SPARK responsible for the 3D scanning, the Jewish Community of Wrocław, the Museum of Cemetery Art – City Museum of Wrocław, and the “Spod ziemi patrzy Breslau” initiative dedicated to working with the remnants of the cemeteries of olden Wrocław as well as the recovery of the history of individuals buried here. The 3D models of tombstones are hosted on sketchfab.com, a platform dedicated to the presentation of 3D models. A series of webinars was organized in collaboration with the Galicia Jewish Museum from Kraków.

While the webinars focused on the digitization efforts carried out within the project, they also covered a broader spectrum of topics related to the use of digital tools in cultural heritage. The invited speakers included museum professionals, researchers, activists, and digitalization specialists.

Lessons learnt

Importance of Expert Consultation

  • Collaboration with historians, museum professionals, and cemetery caretakers was crucial in selecting tombstones for digitalization.
  • Consulting specialists in Jewish heritage helped ensure that matzevot representing diverse architectural styles, social groups, and artistic motifs were included.

Logistical Considerations

  • The use of Sketchfab.com for sharing 3D models enabled broad accessibility, making the project’s results available to the global community.

Value of Educational and Public Engagement

  • The webinars provided a platform for experts, students, and the general public to explore the intersection of memory, technology, and cultural preservation.
  • Engaging schools, universities, and museums through dedicated educational sessions broadened the project’s impact beyond academic circles.
  • Collaboration with various institutions like the Galicia Jewish Museum or the Wrocław Academy of Fine Arts helped connect digital heritage efforts with artistic and cultural narratives.

More info

https://urbanmemoryfoundation.org/en/3d-matzevot/

https://urbanmemoryfoundation.org/macewy3d/

https://youtu.be/ywavtMnnbeo

Funding

European Union (CERV program)

 

Photos – Paweł Góral, Fundacja Spark