Silent stones tell tales. Here at the Jüdischer Friedhof Falkenstein rests a chronicle etched in granite and time. This is a story of a community’s enduring faith. It is a testament to lives lived and memories cherished.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Falkenstein is more than just a burial ground. It is a cultural landmark. It stands adjacent to the general cemetery. This proximity mirrors the intertwined lives of the Jewish community with their neighbors in Falkenstein.
Initially the dead from Falkenstein were buried in Kronberg. Kronberg lies about a kilometer away in the woods. In 1807 Falkenstein Jews joined with those in Königstein. They formed an independent community. Two years later they leased land for a cemetery. In 1912 the Jewish community finally purchased it.
Within this 31.95-acre space lie 89 visible gravestones. Eight of these are the oldest stones. They were moved here from the Kronberg cemetery. These stones are now unreadable with time. The Jüdischer Friedhof Falkenstein whispers stories from as far back as 1847. Some burials before the mid-19th century lacked headstones. This was to avoid distinctions between the dead.
The graves of Noah Berkowitz Feodor Brodsky and Victor Ghittis stand out. These men from Russia died while patients at the Dettweiler lung sanatorium. Their final resting places are marked with elaborate enclosures.
Among those interred here is Albine Wolff Schwarz. She lived from September 12 1866 to June 17 1928. Nanni Strauss also rests here. She lived from September 19 1865 to September 24 1932. Berta Aronson who lived from 1857 to 1933 is also buried here.
The story of Berta Aronson is particularly poignant. She was the first patient of Dr. Felix Oskar Kohnstamm. He owned a sanatorium in Königstein. The family history recalls that Kohnstamm’s children were raised Protestant. However he wanted his youngest child to know his Jewish heritage. So Berta Aronson an orthodox Jew taught the child about Judaism in the kosher Hotel Cahn. The Kohnstamm family dedicated the inscription on her stone to her memory.
Also interred is Philip Wilhelm Gemmer. He died in Theresienstadt on September 11 1942. Gertrude Gemmer died in Auschwitz on January 29 1945.
The last burial at the Jüdischer Friedhof Falkenstein took place in 1971. Wilhelm Gemmer was laid to rest marking a closure of an era. Today the Landesverband der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Hessen owns the cemetery. It ensures the preservation of this sacred place.
As you wander through this serene space note the silent witnesses. They are testaments to life and loss. The Jüdischer Friedhof Falkenstein is a reminder. It connects us to a past. It urges us to remember. It encourages us to honor those who came before us.