Considering its small size, what stories could this place possibly hold? This is the Jüdischer Friedhof Bockenheim. It is a testament to a community’s enduring spirit.
This Jewish cemetery in Bockenheim might be one of Frankfurt’s lesser-known burial grounds. Yet it quietly narrates a history stretching back to the early 18th century. Before 1714, the Jewish community buried their dead in Windecken. Then they established their own cemetery here.
Today about 300 gravestones remain. Each stone marks not just a final resting place but also a piece of Bockenheim’s Jewish history. The cemetery is located on Sophienstrasse. It sits to the right of the old Liebigschule. The high wall surrounding the cemetery adds to its secluded atmosphere. It keeps the site hidden from public view.
Tragedy struck the Jüdischer Friedhof Bockenheim several times. In late 1918, vandals desecrated the cemetery. They destroyed gravestones. They even uprooted their bases. The Frankfurt Jewish community offered a reward for information leading to the perpetrators.
More desecration occurred in the autumn of 1927. This time vandals overturned and smashed gravestones. They defaced others with swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs. School children were identified as the culprits. Some were too young to be held accountable. Others knew the gravity of their actions.
In 1939, the city acquired the Jüdischer Friedhof Bockenheim. City officials planned to remove it. They considered the wall along Sophienstrasse an obstacle to traffic. World War II, however, halted these plans.
The local Bockenheim branch of the Nazi Party had been urging the removal of the cemetery since 1937. They argued that its presence offended German students and teachers at the nearby Liebig school. They also claimed that Jewish people were incapable of creating art or anything culturally significant. Therefore no one should have any objections to clearing the cemetery. They even suggested that crushing the gravestones would allow Jewish remains to be used as pavement for the “Aryan” community.
In 1940, the Bockenheim Nazi leader suggested repurposing the 180 gravestones. He wanted to turn the cemetery into a playground or a rest area for local residents. Others proposed giving the land to small gardeners. The city postponed any action until after the war. They cited a shortage of workers to carry out the relocation.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Bockenheim stands as a reminder of a community’s struggles. Despite desecration and attempts at erasure, it remains a place of memory. To visit, obtain the key from the New Jewish Cemetery on Eckenheimer Landstrasse. This small act connects us to the past. It allows us to pay respect to those who rest here. Their stories echo through the stones.