And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Mazovia

Finding the trace of a mezuzah – a Jewish home blessing – is always a touching moment. The trace is a direct link to the former residents. The people are gone and with them the mezuzah. But the traces remain.

Kolomyia – trace of a mezuzah

Skala-Podilska – trace of a mezuzah

Kolomyia – trace of a mezuzah

Skala-Podilska – trace of a mezuzah

Zhovkva – traces of a mezuzah

Skala-Podilska – trace of a mezuzah

Lviv – trace of a mezuzah

Pidhaitsi, Galicia in Ukraine – trace of a mezuzah at the door frame of house in the former Jewish quarter

Kolomyia – trace of a mezuzah

Skala-Podilska – trace of a mezuzah

Zhovkva – trace of a mezuzah

Trace of a mezuzah in Lviv, Ukraine

Trace of a mezuzah in Stryi, former Jewish quarter, Ukraine

Zhovkva – trace of a mezuzah

Kolomyia – trace of a mezuzah

Trace of a mezuzah in Praga

Brody – mezuzah

traces of a mezuzah in Lviv (Lwow, Lemberg) – well preserved

traces of a mezuzah in Lviv (Lwow, Lemberg)

Chortkiv – trace of a mezuzah

traces of a mezuzah in Lviv (Lwow, Lemberg)

Trace of a mezuzah in Praga

Chortkiv – trace of a mezuzah

traces of a mezuzah in Lviv (Lwow, Lemberg)

Chortkiv – trace of a mezuzah

Brody – trace of a mezuzah

Trace of a mezuzah at Radekhiv market square

traces of a mezuzah in Lviv (Lwow, Lemberg)

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There is still a lot to tell

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Christian Herrmann under Central Ukraine, Eastern Galicia, Exhibition, Jewish Cemeteries

Galicia, Kyiv, Greece and some exhibitions. There is still a lot to tell about the past year. The forced break caused by the corona virus gives me the opportunity to do it.

Lviv – Tikvat Zion synagogue

Lviv – Yiddish shop sign

Lviv – trace of a mezuzah

Brody – mezuzah

Brody – trace of a mezuzah

Pomoriany – destroyed Jewish cemetery

Pomoriany – cold storage made from Jewish tombstones

Pomoriany – former collective farm

Vienna airport – traveling Hasidim

Kyiv – exhibition opening at Triptych: Global Arts Workshop – © Triptych: Global Arts Workshop

Kyiv – German Embassy – © Myroslava Hartmond

Kyiv – House with Chimaeras

Kyiv – Podil Synagogue and Community Centre

Ioannina – house decoration

Cologne – exhibition opening at Lew Kopelew Forum

Cologne – exhibition opening at Lew Kopelew Forum – © Lew Kopelew Forum

Cologne – exhibition flyer

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From Kolomyia eastwards and back to Lviv

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries

My friends and I continued our trip through Galicia in Ukraine on February 23. We started our day in Kolomyia and headed east to Horodenka and then towards Zolotyi Potik. Jewish heritage sites in Hvizdets, Chernelytsia, Zabolotiv and Obertyn were along the way.

Kolomyia – tombstones in a backyard

Kolomyia – trace of a mezuzah

Hvizdets – Jewish cemetery

Horodenka – old Jewish cemetery

Chernelytsia – Jewish cemetery

Zolotyi-Potik – Jewish cemetery

Zolotyi-Potik – tombstone fragments next to the palace

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From Lviv to Kolomyia

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries

Last weekend my friends and I traveled through Galicia in Ukraine again – this time south of Lviv. The first day of the trip took us to Kolomyia. Along the way were Jewish cemeteries in Mykulychyn, Lanchyn, Pechenizhyn, Yabluniv and Zabolotiv.

Mykulychyn Jewish cemetery

Lanchyn Jewish cemetery

Pechenizhyn Jewish cemetery

Yabluniv Jewish cemetery

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Towards the Carpathian Mountains

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries

During the carnival, I fled my hometown Cologne for a week and traveled to Ukraine. For three days, I was on the road with friends. On February 20, our route led us to Medenychi, Opory, Rivne (Königsau), Skole, Lysiatychi, Lavochne and Rozhniativ.

Medenychi – mass grave site

Opory – mass grave site

Rivne (Königsau) – German cemetery

Verkhnie Synovydne – mass grave site

Skole – Jewish cemetery

Rozhniativ – Jewish cemetery

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Vanished World 2020 Calendar For Free Download

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Media

It’s already December and with all its holidays this month is 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 2020 with some of my photos is now available for free download. It is mainly based on the images I exhibited in 2019 in Kyiv and Cologne. Some were taken in Ukraine – Galicia and Podolia – others in Belarus. You may produce the calendar on your own printer or at an on-line shop of your choice. Enjoy and have a great 2020!

Vanished World calendar 2020

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Vanished World Photo Exhibition in the former Jewish Prayer Hall in the Town of Horb

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Exhibition

A selection of my photos is currently on display in the former Jewish prayer hall in the town of Horb. After the exhibition opening on 18 August, it will remain there until the end of the year.

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Nothingness and a Ray of Hope

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

Trochenbrod is internationally known due to Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel “Everything is illuminated” and its Hollywood adaption. Like in the novel, nothing is left of this former all-Jewish town. My friends and I were out there for an excursion on 22 June. On the way back to Lviv we had stops in Lutsk, Stoyaniv and Radekhiv. If you are depressed by the nothingness of Trochenbrod, in Radekhiv you can find a ray of hope.

Trochenbrod – signpost

Trochenbrod – memorials at a mass killing site

Trochenbrod – former town center

Trochenbrod – view in the direction of one of the destroyed cemeteries

Lutsk – massgrave site

Lutsk – returned tombstones at the massgrave site

Stoyaniv – Jewish cemetery

Radekhiv – fragments of Jewish tombstones at the Christian cemetery

Radekhiv – former Jewish shops at the market

Radekhiv – synagogue

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The talking stones of Regensburg

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Central Europe, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Despite its destruction in 1519, the traces of Regensburg’s medieval Jewish community are still there. They can be found along the streets and backyards: tombstones of the Jewish cemetery.

Regensburg – Jewish tombstone at the city hall

Regensburg – Jewish tombstone

Regensburg – Jewish tombstones in the museum

Regensburg – “Judensau” at the facade of the cathedral

Regensburg – synagogue memorial by Dani Karavan

Regensburg – Jewish cemetery

Regensburg – recently inaugurated synagogue

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From Nyasvizh back to Minsk

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Belarus, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

April 27, nearly a month ago, was the last day of our road trip through the west of Belarus. With detours left and right of the Brest-Minsk highway we visited the towns of Nyasvizh, Garadeya, Mir, Turets, Stowbtsy, Novy Sverzhan, Rubezhevichy and Dzerzhinsk (formerly Koydanava). One place stands out: Mir with its synagogues and other former Jewish institutions in the town center.