A last witness

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Bălţi (Beltsy) was and is an important urban center in Bessarabia. Until the war, half of the population was Jewish. Not much is visible of that today, but the Jewish cemetery continues to tell of the past.

Bălţi – Jewish cemetery

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On the road to Bălţi

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

On our way to Bălţi (Beltsy) were Orhei and Teleneşti. The Jewish cemetery of Orhei is one of the oldest in Bessarabia. Rarely I have seen such an impressive cemetery. A unique place!

Chişinău – Gleizer Shil

Orhei – Jewish cemetery

Orhei – synagogue

Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery

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A first trip into rural Moldova

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Although we have by far not visited everything in Chişinău yet, we have undertaken a first trip to the surrounding region today. Călăraşi (Kalarash) and Nisporeni (Nisporeny) and its Jewish cemeteries were on our itinerary.

Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery

Călăraşi – former synagogue

Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery

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Going deeper into Chişinău’s Jewish past

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Day 2 of our trip through Bessarabia. The Jewish cemetery is certainly the most significant legacy of the Jews of Chişinău. In a long walk, we explored it.

Chişinău – synagogue of the Jewish community centre

Irina Shihova, head of the Jewish museum

Chişinău – memorial for the pogrom of 1903

Chişinău – stump of a gravestone in the older Jewish cemetery

Chişinău – Jewish cemetery

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First Greeting from Bessarabia

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia

With my friends Petra and Achim I’m on the road again. We got up early this morning. By train we went to Frankfurt Airport, Air Moldova brought us safely to Chişinău (Kishinev) – the capital of Moldova. We began to explore the city – the first day of our two week trip.

Chişinău – view from the Cosmos Hotel

Chişinău – Soviet war memorial

Chişinău – Christian cemetery – fragments of Jewish gravestones

Chişinău – Christian cemetery – gravestone with Greek inscription

Chişinău – Christian cemetery – grave of a Jewish family

Chişinău – Christian cemetery

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Bessarabian travel plans

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia

With my friends Petra and Achim I will be on the road again; we are an experienced travel team and have already been to Ukraine and Romania together. This time it is the north of Moldova that attracts us. From 20 March on we will explore in Bessarabia what is still visible of the Jewish heritage. If you have recommendations, please do not hesitate to let me know!

Travel plans for Moldova

1 Beltsy (Bălți), 2 Brichani (Briceni), 3 Zguritsa (Zgurița), 4 Kalarash (Călărași), 5 Lipcani, 6 Nisporeny (Nisporeni) , 7 Orhei, 8 Otaci, 9 Kishinev (Chişinău), 10 Rashkov (Raşcov), 11 Vadul Rashkov (Vadul Raşcov), 12 Soroca, 13 Alexandreni, 14 Faleshty (Făleşti), 15 Floreshty (Floreşti), 16 Markuleshty (Mărculeşti), 17 Prodaneshty (Prodănești), 18 Rezina, 19 Teleneshty (Teleneşti), 20 Vertiujeni

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Exhibition on the Holocaust in the Galician Oil Belt opened in Cologne

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Exhibition

On 18 February ‘A Story of Destruction and Rescue’, an exhibition documenting the Holocaust in the eastern Galician towns of Drohobych and Boryslav was opened in Cologne. The exhibition was created by an international team from Poland, Israel, Ukraine and Germany. It was already on display in several locations in Poland and Ukraine and will be shown in more places in Israel and Ukraine this summer. The Cologne exhibition will remain open to the public until 31 March.

Visitors at the exhibition opening

Activists of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, among them Georg Goosmann

Galician sounds by Trezmorim Klezmer Band

Jürgen Wilhelm – head of the Regional Assembly of the Rhineland – speaking

Exhibition curator Klaus Hasbron-Blume speaking

Varda Ghivoly – representative of Drohobycz Borysław and Vicinity Organisation – speaking

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Three days in Riga

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Livonia (Livland), Synagogues

Latvia’s capital Riga looks back on a rich Jewish heritage from the middle ages up to the present. Riga ghetto was the last destination for many Latvian Jews as well as for those who were deported from the Reich. Today there are remembrance sites as well as a functioning Jewish community. A long weekend gave me the opportunity to have a look on it.

Remains of Choral Synagogue

Holocaust memorial

Former synagogue in Moscow suburb

Flea market at Moscow suburb

Former “Yiddishe Handwerker Shul” – an educational institution to qualify craftsmen

Moscow suburb

A Soviet style tower dominates Moscow suburb

Ghetto Museum

Jewish museum in the former Jewish theatre

Former synagogue in Stabu Street

A plaque marks a building where Jews were hidden by Latvians

Medieval city center

Peitavas Synagogue

Detail from a building designed by Mikhail Eisenstein

At the banks of Daugava river

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Brodno Cemetery in Black and White

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Mazovia

To visit the Jewish cemetery in the district of Brodno was one of the most impressive experiences during my trip to Warsaw in December. Some days ago I received the scans of the film negatives. Here is a first selection of the black and white photos.

Brodno Jewish cemetery

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‘A Search for Traces’ photo exhibition opened in Bonn

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Exhibition

Today my photo exhibition consisting of black and white pictures from Jewish heritage sites in Ukraine, Poland and Romania opened in the Böttger bookstore and gallery in Bonn. It covers works from summer 2012 to 2015. I was glad because of the many visitors, nice conversations and positiv feedback.