SULZFELD, GRABFELD incorp. KLEINBARDORF: 97633 Bavaria, Lower Franconia (Gerz, Peters).
DISTRICT: Rhön-Grabfeld.
LOCATION OF CEMETERY: On steep Judenhügel (A) for 1.5 miles, past (B) up to cemetery gate.
IN USE: From 1574 until 1938.
NUMBER OF GRAVESTONES:
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Approx.4,400 gravestones in 1989, oldest remaining thought to date from 1702.
DOCUMENTATION:
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Numerous individual gravestone photographs and general cemetery views in Alemannia Judaica.
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Jüdische Friedhöfe in Bayern publ. Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst, Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (see Kleinbardorf).
- Many photos, some of individual graves but most of rows of stones and overviews of the cemetery here, courtesy Dietrich Krieger.
PUBLICATIONS:
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Israel Schwierz: Steinerne Zeugnisse jüdischen Lebens in Bayern - see Sources below.
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Michael Trüger: Der jüdische Friedhof in Kleinbardorf, publ. Der Landesverband der Israelitischen. Kultusgemeinden in Bayern. 14. Jahrgang Nr. 80 September 1999 pages 18-19.
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Albert, Reinhold: Geschichte der Juden im Grabfeld publ. by Verein für Heimatgeschichte im Grabfeld Kleineibstadt 1996, 120 pages, illus. (LBI).
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Baruch Z. Ophir und Falk Wiesemann: Die juedischen Gemeinden in Bayern 1918-1945 : Geschichte und Zerstoerung incl.9 maps, publ. R. Oldenbourg, Munich 1979, 511 pages (LBI).
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Theodor Harburger: Die Inventarisation juedischer Kunst- und Kulturdenkmaeler in Bayern publ. Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem and Juedisches Museum, Fuerth 1998, 3 vols (LBI).
NOTES:
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This cemetery is one of oldest and the 2nd largest in Bavaria, after Munich. It was enlarged in 1769 and 1843. It also served 27 neighbouring Jewish communities as burial ground, including those from Bastheim, Eichenhausen, Höchheim, Kleineibstadt, Königshofen, Poppenlauer, Rödelmaier, Trappstadt, Unsleben, Massbach and Oberlauringen. Approximately 20,000 graves were still in evidence in 1933.
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The burial register from 1759 to 1938 is still in existence today, as are chronicles of burials between 1800 and 1938.
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The renovated mortuary, built in 1696, contains a war memorial in honour of the 22 Jewish members of the local Jewish community, who lost their lives in WW1.
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The cemetery was desecrated in 1925, between 1933 and 1945, in 1957 and again in 1977. It was fully restored in 1945. There is an official walking trail through the cemetery.
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The cemetery has been looked after and meticulously maintained by local Mr. Erwin Hermann from Kleinbardorf. He was also responsible for the restoration of the mortuary. Amongst a heap of old building rubble he found a stone inscribed with Hebrew letters, which read: This Tahara house was erected by our eminent Rabbi Juspa from Neustadt from his own pocket, Tuesday, Cheshvan 9, 1696. Photograph in Alemannia Judaica. This inscribed stone is now back where it was, when the mortuary was built and dedicated. The German Government awarded Mr. Hermann the 'Order of Merit' decoration. Mr. Hermann is available for information and for conducted cemetery visits.
SOURCE: Alemannia Judaica and Schwierz, page 61 (Schwierz LBI).
(Researched and translated from German December 2009).
Photographs below by: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.August 4, 2003
