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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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.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery

Orhei Jewish cemetery

Rîbniţa Jewish cemetery

Orhei Jewish cemetery

Raşcov Jewish cemetery

Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery

Sniatyn synagogue

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Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery: Little is known, all is visible

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul-Rashkov) in Bessarabia is one of the most impressive Jewish cemeteries I have ever seen. There are a few hundred, if not a few thousand gravestones, located on a hill sloping to the banks of river Dniester. This is borderland – in many aspects.

Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in March 2016

River Dnieter at Vadul-Raşcov

Christian tomb next to river Dnieter at Vadul-Raşcov

Vadul-Raşcov Jewish cemetery in August 2016

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Yom Kippur in Ioannina

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Balkans, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

My Cousin Vangelis and I are travelling in Epirus in the north-west of Greece. High up in the Pindos mountains, Ioannina – the regional capital – is located. The trip gave me a unique opportunity to join the Yom Kippur service in the local synagogue and to learn more about one of the most outstanding Jewish communities in Europe.

Ioannina old town, former Jewish quarter

Ioannina old town, gate to the synagogue yard

Ioannina synagogue

Preparing for Yom Kippur in Ioannina synagogue

Preparing for Yom Kippur in Ioannina synagogue

Yom Kippur in Ioannina synagogue

Ioannina Jewish cemetery

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A last Galician excursion

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Since today I’m back home, but I have still to report on our last excursion, which led us into the Ukrainian borderlands with Poland, to Velyki Mosty, Belz and Uhniv.

Velyki Mosty synagogue

Velyki Mosty – mass grave site

Belz Jewish cemetery

Belz – farmers on the way home

Belz – prayer room

Belz – Catholic church

Uhniv – Catholic church

A curious goat next to Uhniv’s Catholic church

Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue

Uhniv synagogue

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Happy birthday Ukraine!

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina

Now both voluntary services – SVIT Ukraine and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) – are working at the Jewish Cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) to clear it from rampant vegetation. While ARSP started earlier this week, SVIT will end its work-camp by the end of the week. Also volunteers of the Jewish community joined the clean-up. Old time Czernowitzers Mimi Taylor and Sylvia de Swaan visited the volunteers of both groups in the morning.
Today is Ukraine’s Independence Day and people are celebrating in the streets. A good reason to think about the contribution of Ukrainian independence to the preservation of Jewish heritage and rebirth of Jewish life.

Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)

Mimi Taylor meeting the volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)

Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)

Flag decoration during Independence Day

Celebrating Independence Day

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In Chişinău

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

Chişinău’s Jewish cemetery is the most important witness of the city’s Jewish past. Unfortunately it is in a miserable state – densely overgrown and with rubbish everywhere. Sylvia and I went there today.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – Irina Shikhova guiding

Chişinău Jewish cemetery

Sylvia and I – double selfie

Chişinău market

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To Vadul Raşcov and Orhei

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

Another intense day. Sylvia and I have been to Vadul Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) and Orhei in Bessarabia with its amazing Jewish cemeteries. Nothing compares to the Jewish cemetery of Vadul Raşcov at the banks of river Dniester. Here you get in touch with eternity.

Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery

Vadul Raşcov – banks of river Dniester next to the Jewish cemetery

Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery

Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery

Orhei – Jewish cemetery

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Return to Transnistria

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

Our journey to Ukraine and Moldova goes on. The wish of my friend Sylvia to visit Bessarabia gave me a good pretext to return to Chişinău (Kishinev). While our friends Marla and Jay returned to Lviv yesterday, Sylvia and I took the bus to the Moldovan capital. Today we were out for a long day trip to Transnistria, a break-away ‘state’, only aknowledged by Russia. We visited Dubăsari (Dubasari), Raşcov (Rashkov) and Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa).