The history of the Jewish cemetery in Hüttenheim
There has been evidence of Jews in Hüttenheim since the late Middle Ages.
The deceased of the Jewish community were initially buried in Fürth and later in the Jewish district cemetery in Rödelsee.
At the beginning of the 19th century, fluctuating political circumstances made it difficult for the Jews of Hüttenheim to be buried in the Rödelsee Jewish cemetery. The original burial site in Rödelsee was assigned to the Grand Duchy of Würzburg in 1810, while Hüttenheim belonged to the Crown of Bavaria. Due to the territorial separation, a separate cemetery was established in Hüttenheim.
"On November 26, 1816, the widow Katharina Barbara Stadelmann sold the religious community 1.7 acres on the 'Herdweg' towards the Tannenberg for 250 guilders 30 kreuzers to build a burial ground with a house for the dead."
The site was purchased on the initiative of several Jewish communities. It is located at the foot of the Tannenberg, surrounded by vineyards, about one kilometer southeast of Hüttenheim. The cemetery is 92 meters long and 47 meters wide (= 43.24 acres). Since then, the deceased, mainly from the surrounding former Schwarzenberg villages of Hüttenheim, Nenzenheim, Bullenheim, Dornheim and Weigenheim, have been buried here. There were also burials from Mainbernheim, Marktbreit and Uffenheim.
The first burial was in 1818. At funerals in Hüttenheim, the funeral procession stopped at the lake, the participants washed their hands and some returned to the village. In the mortuary, the deceased was washed again in a large carved stone basin and then returned to the earth."
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish community of Hüttenheim had a synagogue, a mikvah and a school in addition to the cemetery in the village. A Chewra Kadischa had been active since 1821. The cemetery was damaged during the National Socialist era. The Tahara house was also destroyed during this time. The monument in the middle of the cemetery, which stands on a brick pedestal, is a reminder of this.
The graves are laid out in long rows and face east. Most of the stones are made of sandstone and the inscriptions are therefore often weathered. 468 graves were erected here, around 250 of which have been preserved to this day.
The cemetery is owned by the Jewish religious community. It is closed, but can be easily viewed from the adjacent hiking trail. The key is available on request from the Willanzheim market.
