Does the name Jüdischer Friedhof sound familiar? This is the Jewish Cemetery in Augsburg-Kriegshaber. It is a place of history and remembrance.
This cemetery is located at the corner of Madison and Hoover Streets. It sits near Kriegshaber’s western boundary. Kriegshaber was incorporated into Augsburg in 1916. The Jüdischer Friedhof spans over 9000 square meters. It is surrounded by a large stone wall. A wrought-iron gate marks the Hoover Street entrance.
The Jüdischer Friedhof was purchased in 1627. It officially opened in 1636. Jewish communities from Munich and Augsburg once buried their dead here. Before its establishment, Jews from Kriegshaber had to bury their dead in Burgau. In 1617, Jews were expelled from Burgau. Kriegshaber Jews acquired pastureland in 1627. This land belonged to the Margraviate of Burgau. They transformed it into a cemetery in 1636.
The cemetery expanded in 1695 and 1722. In 1825, the Jewish communities of Kriegshaber, Pfersee, and Steppach built a wall around it. Munich’s Jewish community also used this cemetery until 1816. The Jüdischer Friedhof served several communities. These included Fischach, Pfersee, Schlipsheim, Steppach, and Kriegshaber. Augsburg’s Jewish community also used it until their own cemetery was established in 1867-68.
The Jüdischer Friedhof is divided into three sections. Approximately 700 old and new gravestones remain. The oldest stones date back to 1662, 1673, and 1695. Burials continued even after 1945.
Opposite the entrance stands the former cemetery warden’s house. It bears an inscription above the entrance. It says “Thou goest to thy end and rest and thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end of days”. This house was built for the Jewish nation in 1802. Pfersee, Steppach, and Kriegshaber dedicated it. The surrounding wall was rebuilt in 1871. The wall was vital because visiting the cemetery was dangerous until 1867. An artillery shooting range was next to the cemetery. Stray bullets often damaged the wall and gravestones. Seligmann Lazarus petitioned the Bavarian king in 1867. His request was successful. The shooting range was moved. Heavy artillery exercises were relocated to Lechfeld. A Chevra Kaddischa burial society was active in Kriegshaber since 1826.
Sadly, the Jüdischer Friedhof was desecrated in 1942. A memorial stone honors the victims of Nazi concentration camps. It was erected after 1945.
Theodor Harburger photographed a wooden grave marker in 1927. It was for the son of Mordechai from Kassel. He died violently on Tuesday, November 19, 1805. This marker is now in the Jewish Cultural Museum Augsburg.
Today, the Jüdischer Friedhof stands as a testament to history. It reminds us of the lives and stories of those buried here. It shows us the resilience of the Jewish community in Augsburg. Take a moment to reflect on their legacy.