A Remnant Rescued from the Flames

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Mazovia, Synagogues

Nożyk Synagogue is Warsaw’s last synagogue situated on the left bank of Vistula river that survived World War II. It is one out of two functioning synagogues in the city. Before the war, 400 synagogues and prayer houses were at disposal of the world’s largest Jewish community. Today, Nożyk Synagogue is part of a Jewish community center.

Nożyk Synagogue, Warsaw

Graffiti next to Nożyk Synagogue, Warsaw

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Bródno Jewish Cemetery Revisited

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Mazovia

Bródno Jewish cemetery in Warsaw is an extraordinary place. There are intact cemeteries or there are destroyed cemeteries, where no or only a few remains of the former purpose are still visible. Bródno Jewish cemetery is the visibility of destruction.

Bródno Jewish cemetery, Warsaw

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Recent Media Coverage

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Media

Since November there were some publications and media reports on my work. Here is a brief overview…

Maly Trostenets catalogue

Devarim frontpage

Devarim article

eJewish Philanthropy interview

Tablet article

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“Present, Absent – Jewish Heritage in Eastern Europe” Photo Exhibition Opened in Berlin

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Exhibition

So far, I exclusively exhibited black and white photos. For the first time, the show in Auferstehungskirche in Berlin’s district Friedrichshain assembles some of my colour photos. Places do not only have a past, they also have a present. Colour photography may express this better.

Photo exhibition in Berlin Friedrichshain

Klaus-Dieter Ehmke speaking at the exhibition opening

Matthias Heyl speaking at the exhibition opening

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A Jewish Necropolis

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Christian Herrmann under Central Europe, Jewish Cemeteries

There is a competition between Warsaw, Vienna, Łódź and Berlin, who has the biggest Jewish cemetery in Europe. With 43 hectares and 115.000 burials the cemetery in Berlin’s suburb Weißensee is at least one of the biggest. I had a walk there.

Berlin, Weißensee Jewish cemetery

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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.

Mizoch – town center

Mizoch – Holocaust memorial

Mizoch – mass killing site

Mizoch – Jewish cemetery

Mizoch – town center, pre-war building

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Some Summer Black and Whites

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

After working a lot on my colour photos I finally found time to return to the analogue black and whites. Here is a selection of images I took in August during the trip to Ukraine and Moldova. Represented are Jewish cemeteries in Chişinău (Kishinev), Orhei and Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) in Bessarabia/Moldova, cemeteries in Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa) and Raşcov (Rashkov) in the break away “state” of Transnistria, as well as the former synagogue of Sniatyn in Galicia, Ukraine.