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Jüdisches Leben in Gunzenhausen |
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Stephani-Volksschule Gunzenhausen Jüdisches Leben in Gunzenhausen |
Compiled by
Katharina Krug und Tobias Meister
Free translation by Susanne Eisen
The History of the Jewish Cemetery
of Gunzenhausen
The cemetery around 1935
© Stadtarchiv
Gunzenhausen
The cemetery in 2004
There are very few records about the matters concerning the cemetery and the Jewish citizens of Gunzenhausen. We have studied, among other things, the work of Johanna Schönborn, who compiled the information in 1992 as a history / social studies special credit work. We quote passages from her writings at the beginning. We also found some materials in the city archives and also received interesting photos from the descendants of the TheilheimerFamily. The theologian and historian Dr. Hahn from Alemannia Judaica of the study group that researches the history of the Jews in Southern Germany and environs, sent us a newspaper clipping about the Jewish cemetery of Gunzenhausen of 1930. The web site www.alemannia-judaica.de is a good source of information about the Jewish history of Southern Germany.
The citizens of the Gunzenhausen Jewish community were said to have been “numerous and well-to-do” and it appears to have been one of the more significant Jewish communities. The first indication of that was an annual report of the historical society of Mittelfranken of 1830, which states that the burial grounds of the Jewry in Gunzenhausen were to be the permanent Jewish cemetery with the official name of “Judenkirchhof” (Jewisch Cemetery), which it is to this day. It was located outside the historic town, north of the current Nürnberger Street. The property has been developed and the exact parcel is hard to locate.
The Markgrafen (Margraves) Casimir and Georg of Ansbach” (1515-1527 and 1543) began to systematically expel the Jews from the “Fürstentum (principality) Ansbach”, and following the “Landtag” meeting, also from Gunzenhausen. Later, in 1561 “Georg Friedrich der Fromme” (the pious one) banished the remaining Jews from Ansbach.(per the records regarding Jewish matters in the registry of the magistrate in Ansbach, volume 5 #1.)
Consequently the remaining Jews were forced to bury their dead in Bechhofen. The first headstone/monument of one of the Gunzenhausen Jews appears to have been from the year 1607 and must have been erected for the David Broedel family. No exact data can be given, since the sources often contradict each other.
When the Jewish community regained more of their rights again, they started to look for a new location for the “Judenfriedhof”. Like most Jewish congregations they had to settle for a location far from the center of town.
This new cemetery of the “Israelitische Kultusgemeinde” (local Israely authority of worship) is located at the edge of the Burgstallwald. It dates back to 1875 and is about 3000 square meters in size.
Together those of the Jewish faith in Gunzenhausen and the neighboring villages Cronheim, Heidenheim, and Markt Berolzheim acquired the current property and created their own cemetery. It was dedicated by the district rabbi from Ansbach on August 26, 1875. The Jewish congregation gathered at the Synagogue at 7:00 am and after the morning service walked two by two to the new burial site. After the prayer they circled the site three times and it was solemnly dedicated.
The congregation was required to fast till noon on this festive day, per Stadtkämmerer (Chamberlain, treasurer) Maurer.
The Jewish religious
community of Bavaria offers further information on
this cemetery's history: http://ikg-bayern.de/rsfr_1.html
 Tahara House 1938 © Stadtarchiv Gunzenhausen |
 Tahara House 2004 © Stadtarchiv Gunzenhausen |
The building contractor Frosch from Gunzenhausen built Tahara House with the prayer room. In these rooms the dead were cleansed and prepared for burial, and guarded till the burial, which was supposed to take place the following day, if possible. At the grave the “Hesped”, (funeral oration) was spoken. The Theilheimer family descendents have sent us the oration texts of their parent’s funerals. One of them can be found in the chapter Brunnengasse 15.
In the Jewish religion the grave stone/monument is of great importance. They are often inscribed with symbols that tell about the meaning of the deceased’s life. Unfortunately on the gravestones in the Gunzenhausen cemetery the symbols of the “blessing hands” or the “ram’s horn” are a rarety .
Cemetery 1938
© Stadtarchiv
Gunzenhausen
The reason for that may be,that no Rabbi is buried here, or else, that no headstone/monument of that type exists anymore. In December of 1929 the cemetery had already been vandalized, when 18 headstones were toppled or smashed.
Dr. Hahn mailed us a newspaper article from 1930 which refers to that incident. It was also reported not only in the “Altmühl Bote”, but also in the Regional Jewish Central-Association-Publication.
Berlin, January 3,
1930
Volume IX - Nr. 1
Single issue 20 Pfennig
Central Association Newspaper
Leaflets for German and Jewish Culture - The Voice of the "Central Society of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith"
 |
Desecration
of the Cemetery Who are the Perpetrators?
Between December 20th
and 23rd (1929) someone maliciously toppled and
partially destroyed 18 grave stones in the Israeli Cemetery in
Gunzenhausen (Bavaria). The local police department began their
investigation immediately. In a statement by the first mayor he
states: “To anyone with even a shred of decency this is a mean and
vile act. The Israeli Cultural Community has offered 500 RM
(Reichsmark) for information leading to the apprehension of the
perpetrators. The City of Gunzenhausen is also very anxious to find
the contemptible villains as soon as possible." |
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At that time the Jewish Community offered a reward of 500 Reichsmark for the apprehension of the perpetrators, but the city offered 100 RM as well. The search for the perpetrators was unsuccessful, even though everybody knew where to look for them. In 1938 the cemetery in Gunzenhausen was again targeted, this time by the National Socialists (Nazis), who on the night of the Pogrom destroyed most of it, demolishing the headstones or even carrying them off. By now, nobody dared to offer a reward toward the discovery of the offenders. |
In the three graves in the front row, which today cannot be located anymore, lie the victims of the pogrom of March 25, 1934: Max Rosenau, Jakob Rosenfelder, and Simon Strauss. The photo was taken by the children of the Theilheimer family, who sent it to us.
The desecration of the headstones and graves is always an unforgivable disturbance of the peace of the departed. These misdeeds hit the Jewish believers particularly hard, because the cemetery is to them the “House of Eternity” where the departed would rest undisturbed (peacefully) forever.
It is the place of everlasting rest (peace) till the end of time, and the location for the timeless and intimate connection of the Jews with their tradition and history, as written by Renate Khoschlessan in her “History of Jewish Cemeteries”. Jewish cemeteries however are not places of sadness, and that is why in the Hebrew language they are called “House of Life” or “House of Eternity”. The departed are honored as “those who lived” who continue to exist because of their immortal souls, therefore live forever. In the Yiddish language the cemetery is called the “Good Place".
Any disturbance of the peace of the departed also effects the immortal soul, because the body in the grave remains forever connected to the hereafter. The grave rightfully belongs to the departed, it cannot ever be sold. The cemetery is an honorary gathering place for the living, for memories and prayers. Even if they are no longer in use, they continue to function with those purposes. Therefore it would be incorrect to speak of a “former Jewish cemetery”.
Over time the headstones can sink completely into the ground. But unlike in the Christian cemeteries, nobody can ever be buried in the same space. Relatives visit the graves regularly and leave a small stone behind as a sign of reverence and remembrance. At the burial sites of prominent Rabbis visitors may leave a note under the stone, on which they may have written a request for the Rabbi to present to God.
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Unfortunately many of the gravesites in the cemetery in Gunzenhausen can not be located anymore. Although many of the headstones that were left after WWII were re-erected and individual ones incorporated into the wall that surrounds the cemetery, the relatives who continue to visit often have great difficulties in locating the graves. |
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After the war some individual gravestones were replaced with new ones to keep the memory of the departed alive.
Today barely 50 headstones are left. Many of them are very weathered and the text is barely legible.
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In 1963 the "Israelische Kultusgemeinde” donated a guest book to the caretakers of the cemetery so the visitors could leave their names and Addresses. Today Mrs. Dr. Gregor lives in the former Taharah-House and keeps the book handy for visitors. A prayer book in Hebrew script is also available to visitors. |
The guest book begins with this entry:
Ludwig
Waldmann, formerly a confectioner in Gunzenhausen, now living in Herzlia
in Israel, recently spent several days in his home town and also visited
the Jewish cemetery where his parents were buried. But the ground over
their graves had been leveled.
Mr. Waldmann has
provided the guest book, which is entrusted to the cemetery caretaker. It
is hoped that all members of the former “Israelitische Kultusgemeinde
Gunzenhausen” who visit the cemetery will enter their names and
addresses in the book. The community hopes that contacts can be
re-established. Mr. Waldmann himself started the book with his own entry.
Unfortunately not all names can be deciphered, but we believe that Mr. Waldmann would approve our publishing the names of those who have signed in and their current country of residence:
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1963 |
Ludwig Waldmann, Islrael |
1977 | Lisa Seeberger, Israel |
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1963 |
Fritz Rahner |
1978 | Max Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1963 | Lina Hellmann, Holland | 1978 | Edith Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1963 | Albert Rosenfelder, Deutschland | 1979 | Annemarie Heidenheim, Deutschl. |
| 1964 | Gerhard Stoll, USA | 1979 | Gustav Heidenheim, Deutschland |
| 1964 | Bruno Waldmann, USA | 1979 | Gisela Levi, Israel |
| 1964 | Walter Reed, USA | 1979 | Bianka Hainebach, Israel |
| 1964 | Albert Rosenfelder, Deutschland | 1980 | Paula Pariser, Israel |
| 1964 | Jack Joelsohn, USA | 1980 | Robert Altmann, Israel |
| 1965 | Martha Cohem, Rhodesien | 1981 | Familie Richard, USA |
| 1965 | Albert Rosenfelder, Deutschland | 1981 | Stanley Hellmann, USA |
| 1965 | Hedl Meier, USA | 1981 | Elissa Hellmann, USA |
| 1965 | Lina Sommer de Juda, Argentinien | 1981 | Lisel und Fritz ?, USA |
| 1966 | Kiriath ...thalon, Israel | 1982 | Elisa Hilbert, USA |
| 1966 | Simon Richard, USA | 1982 | Ben Hilbert, USA |
| 1966 | Ludwig Marx, Südafrika | 1982 | ? Wallach?, Israel |
| 1966 | Richard Hellmann, USA | 1982 | Betty Hellmann, USA |
| 1966 | Stanley Hellmann, USA | 1982 | Jennifer Greenfield, USA |
| 1967 | Meta Mendelsohn, USA | 1982 | Julius Gutmann, USA |
| 1967 | Herbert Mendelsohn, USA | 1982 | Lore Gutmann, USA |
| 1968 | Frieda Baer/Graf, USA | 1982 | Helen Gutmann, USA |
| 1968 | Lina Sommer de Juda, Argentinien | 1982 | Rachel Theilheimer, USA |
| 1969 | Albert Hellmann, USA | 1984 | Gertrud Heß, Israel |
| 1969 | Richard Lehmann, Israel | 1985 | Simon Richard, USA |
| 1970 | Joseph Sommer, USA | 1985 | Ilse Richard, USA |
| 1970 | ? Bergmann, USA | 1985 | Berthold Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1970 | Hanna Bergmann, USA | 1985 | Frau Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1970 | Michael Bergmann, USA | 1985 | Max Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1970 | Berta Holtz, Schweiz | 1985 | Edith Weinmann, Argentinien |
| 1970 | Nora Holtz, Schweiz | 1985 | Familie Richard, USA |
| 1970 | Familie Waldmann, Israel | 1985 | Betty Hellmann, USA |
| 1970 | Walter Cromwell, USA | 1985 | Ruth Hellmann/Greenfield, USA |
| 1971 | Berthold Weinmann, Argentinien | 1985 | Ilse Unger?, Israel |
| 1971 | Justin Richard, USA | 1985 | Gideon Unger?, Israel |
| 1971 | ? R. Strauss, USA | 1986 | Ludwig Lehmann |
| 1971 | Sohn von Dr. Joseph Wolff, Israel | 1988 | Simon Richard, USA |
| 1972 | Familie Richard, USA | 1988 | Ilse Richard, USA |
| 1973 | Simon Richard, USA | 1988 | Robert Altmann, Israel |
| 1973 | Ilse Richard, USA | 1988 | Ruth Altmann, Israel |
| 1973 | Julius Gutmann, USA | 1989 | R. Ortal, Israel |
| 1973 | Lore Gutmann, USA | 1989 | Robert Altmann, Israel |
| 1973 | Alan Gutmann, USA | 1989 | Ruth Altmann, Israel |
| 1973 | ´Helen Gutmann, USA | 1992 | Hubert Richard, USA |
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1974 |
Michael Levi, Israel |
1992 | Joan Richard, USA |
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1974 |
Getrude Schwarz, USA |
1993 | Familie Richard, USA |
| 1974 | Bertold Weinmann, Argentinien | 1994 | Karl Kraus, Österreich |
| 1976 | Betty Hellmann, USA | 1998 | Walter D. Stoll, USA |
| 1976 | Susan Hellmann, USA | 1998 | Hubert Richard, USA |
| 1977 | Ludwig Marx, Südafrika | 1998 | Joan Richard, USA |
| 1977 | Robert Altmann, Israel | 2004 | Rachel Theilheimer, USA |
| 1977 | Rudolf Seeberger, Israel | 2004 | Jonathan Beard, USA |
Unfortunately not all visitors entered their names in the guest book. They were probably not aware of it's existence.
We have taken a photo of each of the gravestones that were in reasonably good condition, and added the names of those that we could decipher.
Gravestones of the Jewish Cemetery
of Gunzenhausen
in 2004
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| Last updated 07.10.2012 by Franz Müller | |