Did you know Friedhof Hansell holds stories of self-confident families? These families were German Jews during the empire. This cemetery is a testament to Münster’s Jewish history. It spans over 200 years.
Friedhof Hansell is more than a burial ground. In Judaism, cemeteries are “Beth Olam”. That means “house of eternity”. Graves here remain undisturbed. They are not cleared away. Jewish cemeteries hold precious history. They tell tales from the Middle Ages.
Münster had a Jewish community in the 13th century. Their first burial place was near Paulinum grammar school. Plague pogroms wiped it out. Later, Jewish families returned in the 16th century. Bishop Franz von Waldeck allowed them. They likely lacked their own burial place. They were later expelled.
French rule in 1810 brought change. Jews could settle in Münster again. The history of Friedhof Hansell began then.
Sophie Haindorf’s gravestone is the oldest. She died in 1816. She was only 25. She passed after giving birth. Her husband, Dr. Alexander Haindorf, was a doctor. He remarined a widower. He was buried with her in 1862.
Early burials were mainly children. Some were older people. They moved to Münster with their families. Some young women also lie here. They did not survive childbirth.
Abraham Sutro’s gravestone is important. He was the Land Rabbi for Westphalia. He mediated between Jewish communities and the Prussian government. He served from 1815 until his death in 1869.
In 1887, the Jewish community grew. They bought land near the synagogue. Gravestones show families were proud Germans of Jewish faith. Hebrew inscriptions lessened over time. Memorial stones mirrored Christian styles. They included Art Nouveau elements. Some even had figurative representations. Jewish tradition typically frowned upon these.
During the Third Reich, stones were knocked down. This happened in 1936. A bomb damaged the oldest part in World War II. Metal grave borders vanished. They were melted down for weapons. In 1944, the Reich Institute wanted an inventory. They questioned Jewish cemeteries’ existence. The plan was to seize or sell Friedhof Hansell. But this never happened.
Burials continued until the last deportation in 1942. Some graves reflect Nazi policies. One spouse is buried here. The other crypt space remains empty. It’s a stark reminder of expulsion. It signifies the extermination of Jews.
After the Holocaust, some Jewish families returned. Siegfried and Else Goldenberg are buried here. They helped rebuild the community. Later, families arrived from the Soviet Union. More burial space was needed. In 2002, the city offered a space at the “Hohe Ward” cemetery.
Since then, only those with existing plots use Friedhof Hansell. From 2012 to 2015, the University of Münster documented about 400 gravestones. Photos, transcriptions, and translations were recorded.
Friedhof Hansell stands as a living memory. It recalls the past. It is a place of reflection. It reminds us of resilience. It showcases the enduring spirit.