Jew. Cemetery Heinsheim

Jewish Cemetery of Bad Rappenau-Heinsheim

The Jewish Cemetery near Heinsheim is one of the largest and art historically most interesting Jewish cemeteries in Germany. In almost of the villages of the surrounding area, as well as in Bad Rappenau and its boroughs, Jewish communities had thrived for centuries in the immediate neighbourhood of Christian communities until they were brutally wiped out during the Third Reich. More than one thousand gravestones, belonging to the deceased of up to 25 towns and villages, bear witness to this fact. The burial ground in the area known as “Im Schlierbach” was probably established as early as the 16th century. The oldest gravestone still accessible today is that of Zwi Juda, son of Mosche, who died in 1598. The last person to be buried in the graveyard was Jeanette Strauss in 1937. In the 19th century, Jewish communities were given the right to establish their own cemeteries within the boundaries of their towns and villages, as was the case in Eppingen in 1818, and in Rappenau in 1881. The space for this cemetery was provided by the local gentry of Heinsheim. In return, the Jewish community had to pay an annual rent as well as other charges for use of the premises. It was not until 1857 that the annual charges were dropped and ownership of the cemetery passed to the Jewish congregation of Heinsheim. During the Nazi reign, most of the grave stones remained intact. Today, the cemetery is owned by the Israelitische Religionsgemeinschaft Baden. Care has been taken over by the city of Bad Rappenau. For more information on the history of the cemetery, visit our website “Jüdischer Friedhof Heinsheim”.

In a series of stunning images, Gerd Brander and Walter Hörnig have managed to capture the unique atmosphere of the cemetery, which is also known as the “House of Life”. We have chosen a selection of pictures for you to enjoy. Our thanks go to the photographers, Gerd Brander (colour photos) and Walter Hörnig (monochrome photos) for their wonderful images and the right to publish them on our website. At this point, we would also like to inform you that the right of usage for these images has been granted under the condition that they are used on our website exclusively. Any further duplication, use or modification is prohibited under the copyright law. In the link list below you will find links to the photographers’ websites, as well as an insightful and touching video of the Jewish cemetery made by Dirk Hartkopf.