Commemoration of Jewish soldiers: Würzburg's Ehrenhain shines again

Commemoration of Jewish soldiers: Würzburg's Ehrenhain shines again

On Remembrance Day in Würzburg, not only the victims of war and violence are remembered, but also the Jewish soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. For a century, a memorial in the Jewish cemetery in Lengfeld has commemorated the men from the Jewish community who died “for the fatherland”. September 21, 1924 marks the solemn moment of inauguration, when local warrior associations held a moving war memorial service with flags and a band.

In total, almost 100,000 Jews reported for military service during the First World War, including 400 from the Würzburg community. The names of 43 fallen soldiers are immortalized on two large plaques in the grove of honor. These men who fell between 1914 and 1916 will not be forgotten. The fate of Max Ruschkewitz, who died in 1930 after being seriously injured, is particularly tragic. Over 12,000 Jewish soldiers lost their lives, while more than 20,000 promotions and 30,000 awards were given for their bravery.

Commemoration with prominent participation

The restoration of the Ehrenhain has an important signaling effect, says Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. He will also speak at the memorial service on Remembrance Day at 11 a.m. at the Jewish cemetery, together with a Bundeswehr officer and Mayor Christian Schuchardt. Students from the David-Schuster Realschule will also read out 50 names of Jewish victims who were deported between 1941 and 1944. The memorial service will be accompanied by a tour of the cemetery at 2 p.m., during which men are asked to wear head coverings.

The Jewish cemetery in Würzburg is not only the only place in Lower Franconia where Jews are buried, but also a living testimony to Jewish history. Next to the memorial for the fallen soldiers, a stele commemorates the victims of National Socialism who had to live here during the dictatorship before they were deported.