Culture of remembrance in Prenzlau: Discovery of the Jewish cemeteries!

Culture of remembrance in Prenzlau: Discovery of the Jewish cemeteries!

The discovery of Prenzlau's Jewish history becomes tangible through an impressive tour. In the city that once served as home to Jewish communities, two cemeteries are of great importance. How berlin.de According to reports, the Jewish cemetery in today's city park is a tragic symbol of loss - it was violently destroyed during Kristallnacht in 1938. But the second cemetery at Süßen Grund survived these terrible times and is considered one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in Brandenburg.

The gravestones in the preserved cemetery tell the stories of the Jewish citizens of Prenzlau and testify to their lively community. A walking tour invites participants to trace the impressive traces of Jewish life in the city, thereby promoting awareness of the destruction and loss suffered by the Jewish community. This path of remembrance is an invitation to pause and experience history up close.

A long story

The Jewish community in Prenzlau has an eventful history that dates back to 1309, when Jews were first mentioned in documents. Loud uni-potsdam.de There was already a “Joden Dorpe” within the city walls of Prenzlau in 1321. These early settlements experienced many ups and downs, especially after 1571, when Jews were no longer officially allowed in the March of Brandenburg. The only exception was the Löwenhagen moneylender in Prenzlau.

After a long dry spell, the Jewish community received permission to settle 50 Jewish families in 1671. This led to the re-establishment of the community in 1698. Over the centuries, Jewish life flourished and businesses such as tobacco and leather trading were established. Over the course of the 19th century, the number of Jewish families grew steadily. The Prenzlau synagogue community was officially founded in 1847 and at that time already had 434 members.

Sad turn of events

But history took a tragic turn: in 1933, the SA boycotts against Jewish businesses began, and the community declined rapidly. Between 1932 and 1934, the number of Jewish residents fell from 174 to just 86. Further anti-Semitic riots followed, culminating in the November pogroms of 1938, when Jewish shops were destroyed and the synagogue was looted.

As the uni-bamberg.de As this points out, around 2,400 Jewish cemeteries have been preserved in Germany since the 11th century and represent important evidence of Jewish culture. They are intended not only as resting places, but also as cultural places of remembrance. An interdisciplinary research project entitled “Digital Stone Witnesses” has set itself the goal of documenting 35 such cemeteries and identifying the final resting places of the Jewish community as witnesses to centuries of coexistence.

The event in Prenzlau is therefore more than just a tour; it is an important piece of remembrance culture that connects participants with the history and heritage of the Jewish community and creates space for reflection and pause.