Državni arhiv - odjel u Novoj Gradiški

The settlement of Jews in Nova Gradiska did not start until 1868 because of military restrictions, as it was a military base town in the Habsburg period. Prior to this (from 1803) the centre of Jewish community was in the nearby civilian town of Cernik. The Jewish population mainly came from Hungary, Moravia, Burgenland and Galicia. In Cernik (Požega County) regulations were more tolerant and stimulating for the development of trade.

In 1910, there were 338 Jews in the city of Nova Gradiska (5% of the population) and they made important contributions to the development of their city. The most significant trade, wholesale trade and crafts businesses in the city until 1941 were run by Jewish families: Wachsler, Schmidek, Bauer, Roth, Stern, Rotenstein, Weis, Kohn, Neumann and others. In 1925, they built a synagogue (in today's Stepinac street). The synagogue was demolished in 1941. Most Jews of the Gradiska region perished in the nearby Jasenovac concentration camp.

There is a high chance Holocaust-related material can be found in the 1941-1945 collections referring to administrative affairs, police records, nationalisation of "foreign" property, as well as birth records of individuals and families. It is recommended to contact the archivist by email or phone to confirm whether the relevant material (some finding aids available online through the link above) is situated in the Nova Gradiska branch or in the central institution, the Croatian State Archive in Zagreb.

See the book by Vjekoslav Žugaj, Židovi novogradiškog kraja (2001).

For an overview of the archives' fonds, see:

http://www.dasb.hr/index.php/pregled-fondova/133-pregled-fondova-i-zbirki-nova-gradika