Pause for a moment and consider that we are standing before a place of immense historical importance. This is the Jüdischer Friedhof Altona. It is not just a cemetery. It is a testament to centuries of Jewish life in Northern Europe.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Altona is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Hamburg. More impressively it is the oldest Portuguese-Sephardic Jewish cemetery in Northern Europe. Its age and unique gravestone art led to its classification as a protected monument in 1960.
Imagine what lies before you. For years, scholars have advocated for its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It would join other Jewish burial grounds in Curaçao, Jamaica, and Surinam. Between 1611 and the 1870s about 9,000 burials took place here. 2,000 were in the Portuguese-Jewish section. 7,000 were in the German-Jewish Ashkenazic part. More than 6,000 German and 1,600 Portuguese gravestones remain partially or completely preserved.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Altona belongs to the Jewish Community of Hamburg. The Office for Monument Protection restores the gravestones. The Institute for the History of the German Jews researches the cemetery. They collaborate with the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute in Duisburg. The German Foundation for Monument Protection maintains the Eduard Duckesz House and visitor programs.
Step inside the Eduard Duckesz House. It serves as a reception and information center. It is named after Rabbi Eduard Duckesz. He researched Jewish gravestones and genealogy in the Hamburg area. Sadly, he was deported to Auschwitz in 1943 and murdered there.
Since 2007, the Eduard Duckesz House welcomes visitors. It provides information in German, English, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese. This center hosts lectures, exhibitions, and a library. Restoration specialists also work here.
The library within the Eduard Duckesz House is a specialist scholarly library. It contains literature on iconography, epigraphy, death and mourning in Judaism, and Jewish cemeteries. You will also find materials about Jewish art, European Jewish history, and the history of Jews in Hamburg.
Consider the meticulous research conducted here. Every gravestone has been mapped, documented, photographed, and translated. Each stone has a number within a grid, making it easier to locate.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Altona stands as a profound reminder. It embodies history, culture, and remembrance. As you wander through this sacred ground, reflect on the stories etched in stone. Remember the lives and legacies of those who rest here. It is a place of historical significance and a testament to human resilience.