MZ-37-O

This is the so-called memorial plaque (Hebrew luach zikaron) dedicated to Pesach Holländer (1863-1936), owner of a wine store in Oświęcim on Kolejowa Street. For many years, he sat on the Oświęcim City Council and belonged to the city’s elite. He was the son of the local rabbi, Moshe Ha-Kohen. He died in 1936. The form of the plaque is reminiscent of a matzeva. The inscription on it is almost identical to that on the gravestone of Pesach Holländer, which survives in the Oświęcim cemetery. Such plaques commemorated the dead. They were kept in homes, and on the anniversary of their death, candles were lit in front of them. They took various forms, including cut-outs and miniature tombstones.