Time stood still within the Cimetiére Israélite. Rows of weathered stones told tales of lives lived and loved. This quiet place in Strasbourg holds the memories of generations. The oldest Jewish cemetery in Strasbourg was destroyed after the Black Death. Jews were wrongly accused of poisoning wells. A few remnants were found near the current Place de la République. Some tombstones are now in the Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame.
The Cimetiére Israélite you see today isn’t the first. It replaced an earlier cemetery established around 1800. This one in Koenigshoffen. It was gradually expanded. By World War I it held around four thousand graves. The cemetery became too small. It was eventually replaced by another in Cronenbourg.
This Koenigshoffen cemetery was enclosed by a wooden fence along Rue Muhlbruche. Around 1960 the fence was replaced with the current wire mesh. The wooden slats had deteriorated. The Strasbourg Jewish community and the city maintain the grounds. Anne-Lise Weiler’s tireless efforts helped restore order.
In 2001 they celebrated the cemetery’s bicentennial. The many gravestones evoke Alsatian Judaism of the 19th and 20th centuries. About forty smaller surrounding communities used this cemetery. This information is in the records and on some grave markers.
Among those buried here is Rabbi Moses Bloch. Nicknamed the “Hokhem of Uttenheim” he wrote Yisma’h Moshe. This is an erudite commentary on the Hulín tractate. He held no official rabbinical position. He died in 1868. His epitaph calls him a master scholar righteous man. His wife Matel Sara is buried beside him. Her gravestone is identical to his. It’s written in Hebrew acrostic.
The Cimetiére Israélite is a precious resource. It provides insights into Alsatian Jewish history. It helps families trace their roots. The gravestones tell stories. Stories of rabbis military personnel doctors philanthropists. The gravestones show the role of Judaism in Alsace’s social political industrial commercial and intellectual life.
The inscriptions are sometimes hard to decipher. Time and pollution damaged the sandstone. Many are almost illegible. Yet even the damaged stones whisper stories of faith perseverance and community. This cemetery in Strasbourg is much more than just a burial ground. It is a living testament to a rich and enduring history. It is a peaceful place to reflect on lives lived. A silent guardian of Alsatian Jewish heritage.