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4. Jewish Cemetery

Jewish Cemetery, Worms

Paper and rock remembrances in the Jewish Cemetery. Photo © Michael Clemens. View all images in our Jewish Cemetery Photo Gallery.

Autumn in the Jewish Cemetery. Photo © Allanimal.

Tombs in the Jewish Cemetery. Photo © Allanimal.

In the southwest corner of the walled city of Worms is the Heiliger Sand, the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe. The green, peaceful grounds are home to hundreds of twisted and sunken tombstones, some more than 900 years old.

The earliest tombstone that is still standing dates from 1076; the last burial was in 1940. For unknown reasons, the graves do not have the customary orientation towards Jerusalem; the sole exception is the marytr Rabbi Meir von Rothenburg at the lowest point of the grounds.

The cemetery fell into disuse before the Holocaust: it was so full that by 1911, a new burial ground was created elsewhere and only established families could continue to use the Heiliger Sand. Miraculously, the cemetery was not destroyed under the Third Reich.

The old Jewish Quarter in Worms, containing the Alte Synagogue and Jewish Museum, is at the other end of town to the north.

Quick Facts on Jewish Cemetery

Map of Jewish Cemetery

Below is a location map and aerial view of Jewish Cemetery. Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse.

References

1. The Rough Guide to Germany 6 (April 2004).
2. Synagoge und Mikwe - Judenviertel - Worms.de

More Information

• Jewish Cemetery, Worms - Go Historic
• Photos of Jewish Cemetery - here on Sacred Destinations

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