At low Light

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Yesterday, it was raining all day long when my friends and I returned to Lviv. En route were the towns of Turka, Khyriv, Ralivka and Mykolaiv. I also took the opportunity to photograph the synagogues in Sambir and Staryi Sambir under different light conditions.

Turka – Jewish cemetery

Turka – Jewish cemetery, Holocaust memorial

Turka – Great Synagogue

Staryi Sambir – synagogue

Khyriv – former Jewish cemetery

Crumbling Catholic church

Sambir – Great Synagogue, now a gym

Ralivka – mass killing site

Mykolaiv – mass killing site next to the Jewish and Christian cemetery

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South-West of Lviv – Between Hope and Depression

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Marla, Jay, Vasyl and I were on the road again for another two days trip through Galicia during this weekend. From Lviv we headed south-west towards the Carpathian Mountains. Komarno, Rudky, Sambir and Staryi Sambir were our targets on Saturday. A trip between hope and depression.

Komarno – former rabbinical residenc

Komarno – location of the destroyed synagogue

Komarno – fragments of tombstones from a construction ground returned to the Jewish cemetery

Komarno – Jewish cemetery

Rudky – Great Synagogue

Rudky – building of the Judenrat

Rudky – former Gestapo headquarter

Marla, Volodya and Vasyl talking

Rudky – territory of the Jewish cemetery

Rudky – Holocaust memorial made of Jewish tombstones

Rudky – Jewish tombstones from the yard of Gestapo headquarter at the Holocaust memorial

Rudky – Holocaust memorial

Rudky – memorial for NKVD victims

Sambir – restaurant sign from the Austrian period

Sambir – Great Synagogue

Sambir – Jewish cemetery

Staryi Sambir – Jewish cemetery

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The End of Silence

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia

Thousands of Jewish tombstones were used as construction material in the Ukrainian city of Lviv – first by the German occupants during World War II, later by the Soviets. Sometimes they appear, and sometimes there are people who save them. Today, tombstones from a courtyard in downtown Lviv were returned to the Jewish cemetery by Sasha Nazar and his friends from Lviv Volunteer Center.

Saving Jewish tombstones at Halytska Square 15 in Lviv

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From Medzhybizh back to Lviv

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

My friends and I had a long ride from east to west today. Starting from the Hasidic hot-spot of Medzhybizh, we returned to Lviv with stops in Volochysk, Zbarazh and Zaliztsi. Join us on the last day of our four days Jewish heritage trip through Volhynia, Podolia and Galicia in Ukraine!

Medzhybizh - Jewish cemetery - tomb of the Baal Shen Tov

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery – tomb of the Baal Shem Tov

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery

Medzhybizh – reconstructed Beit Midrash

Medzhybizh – synagogue

Southern Bug near Medzhybizh

Medzhybizh castle

Volochysk – Jewish cemetery

Zbarazh – territory of the old Jewish cemetery

Zbarazh – Great Synagogue

Zbarazh – former Jewish houses

Zbarazh – new Jewish cemetery

Zaliztsi – Jewish cemetery

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From Zhytomyr to Berdychiv

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

To travel to Berdychiv was my desire since a long time. Today my friends and I went from Zhytomyr to Berdychiv – having a look on the Jewish heritage sites of both cities. Berdychiv’s Jewish cemetery is one of the most spectacular sites I’ve ever seen.

Zhytomyr – Jewish cemetery

Zhytomyr – renewed prayer house of peddlers

Zhytomyr – prayer house of water carriers

Zhytomyr – Holcaust memorial at a mass killing site

Berdychiv – Jewish cemetery

Berdychiv – Great Synagogue

Berdychiv – Old Jewish Cemetery, now a park

Berdychiv – Holocaust memorial at a mass killing site

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Further East

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

My friends Marla, Jay, Vasyl and I continued our journey through Volhynia. Today, Jewish heritage sites in Rivne, Ostroh, Slavuta and Shepetivka were on our itinerary. It also was a day with exceptional people we met.

Rivne – Great Synagogue

Rivne – Old Kloyz

Rivne – Herzberg’s Beit Midrash

Rivne – Talmud Torah

Rivne – former Mikvah

Ostroh – Jewish cemetery

Ostroh – Great Synagogue

Ostroh – memorial at mass killing site

Slavuta – synagogue

Slavuta – memorial for 300 murdered Jewish children

Slavuta – Jewish cemetery

Slavuta – mass killing site

Slavuta – Großlazaret 301

Shepetivka – Great Synagogue

Shepetivka – Jewish cemetery

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From Lviv to Rivne

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

Marla, Jay, Vasyl and I are on the road again – the beginning of a four days trip to Jewish heritage sites, mainly in Volhynia. Today, we have been to Radekhiv, Lutsk, Klevan and Rivne.

Saved Jewish tombstones at Radekhiv Christian cemetery

Soviet memorial at Radekhiv Christian cemetery

Tetyana talking with Marla

Radekhiv – territory of the old Jewish cemetery

Radekhiv – old people remember

Radekhiv market

Trace of a mezuzah at Radekhiv market square

Radekhiv synagogue

Lutsk – Great Synagogue

Lutsk – Talmud Torah

Lutsk – remains of Beit Midrash of Olyka Hasidim with adjacent bus station

Klevan Jewish cemetery

Klevan – Great Synagogue

Rivne – Holocaust memorial

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Mapping the Unknown

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia

A new journey has begun. During the next days, I will travel with my friends Marla, Jay and Vasyl in Ukraine again. A journey that will bring us to places widely unknown to many. How complete is our “inner map”? And how complete is our map of murderous actions in the 20th century? One of the missing spots is the site of Janowska concentration camp in a suburb of Lviv.

Janowska concentration camp site – gate to “the sands”

Janowska concentration camp site – memorial

Janowska concentration camp site

Janowska concentration camp site – building from the Soviet era

Janowska concentration camp site

Klepariv train station – station building with plaque for deportad Jews

Klepariv train station

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Vanished World 2018 Calendar For Free Download

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Media

December is coming closer and with all its holidays it’s for many of us a time of gifts. I would like to give a present to all who accompanied my trips through Eastern Europe’s Jewish past and present – either in person or by following my experiences through the Vanished World blog or social media. A calendar for 2018 with some of my photos is available now for free download, consisting of photos from Jewish heritage sites in Ukraine, Moldova and Poland. You may produce it on your own printer or at an on-line shop of your choice. Enjoy and have a great 2018!