Snow covered Cemeteries

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Winterly Galicia looks beautiful. But iced roads can be dangerous and a cold wind was blowing today, when I was out with friend and driver Vasyl to visit the Jewish cemeteries in Shchyrets, Rozdil and Mykolaiv. We discovered some real masterpieces of stone carving.

Shchyrets Jewish cemetery

Rozdil Jewish cemetery

Rozdil synagogue

Mykolaiv – mass shooting site

Mykolaiv Jewish cemetery

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Inside Jakob Glanzer Shul

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Synagogues

Jakob Glanzer Shul is one of the last remaining synagogues in Lviv. The building is in bad condition; an adjuncting wall already collapsed. Since years a young man fights for the preservation of the synagogue. I met him today.

Jakob Glanzer Shul

Inside Jakob Glanzer Shul

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Old Lviv

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia

Many visitors think, the old town is Lviv’s oldest part. It is not. Duke Danilo built his settlement and castle on a hill north of the present old town and named it after his son Lev. Today it is a quarter around the Old Market, where once Lviv’s reform synagogue stood – blown up during the German occupation.

Old Market – once Lviv’s reform synagogue stood here

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Mizoch and the Emptiness

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Volhynia (Volyn)

Mizoch (Mizocz) is a small town in Volhynia. The population was composed of Ukrainians, Poles and Jews – until World War II. The scars of the past are still visible in Mizoch; the town’s center remained half empty until the present day.