Rottweil remembers: tour of the traces of the Jewish community

Rottweil remembers: tour of the traces of the Jewish community

Next Sunday, July 13, 2025, the “Former Rottweil Synagogue” association is organizing a tour that will take visitors on a journey through time into Jewish life in Rottweil. The meeting point is at 2 p.m. at the prayer room at Kameralamtsgasse 6. This route is more than just a walk through the city - it offers an important examination of the city's Jewish history and revives the past.

The route leads, among other things, to the former synagogue, which served as a place of faith from 1861 to 1938, and to the Jewish cemetery. The victims of the violent end of the Jewish community that took place during the pogrom night in November 1938 are commemorated there. In addition, numerous houses in the city center are discussed, which are reminiscent of the second Jewish community in Rottweil. This community developed in the 19th century and is part of a history that dates back to 1315, when Jews were first mentioned in Rottweil.

Impressive history

The history of the Jews in Rottweil is characterized by ups and downs. The first Jewish community was wiped out in a pogrom as early as 1348. In 1418 some Jewish families settled again. A significant turning point was the “Jewish Manifesto” of 1798, which only allowed Jews in Rottweil to work in the junk trade. Despite such limitations, the community continued to find ways to organize and grow. They opened their own cemetery in 1850 and set up a prayer room in Kameralamtsgasse in 1861 to maintain their religious customs.

Among the particularly dark chapters in this story are the events in 1938, when the synagogue's interior was destroyed and burned. This was the final blow of the cruel exclusion of Jews from public life, which culminated in the “Aryanization” of many businesses. Today, more than 80 years later, this memorial in front of the memorial at the Baumfeld in Nägelesgraben reminds us of what was lost.

Insights into Jewish life today

The understanding of Jewish life in Germany is often strongly influenced by the victim perspective. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, criticizes that this one-sided representation in schools and the media obscures the cultural aspects of Jewish history. A study shows that about two-thirds of textbook content on Jewish history focuses on the Holocaust. The distorted image does not help to appreciate the diversity of Jewish experiences and cultures.

The “Meet a Jew” project, initiated by Marat Schlafstein, aims to promote encounters between Jews and non-Jews and help break down prejudices. The representation of Jewish culture and history, particularly in the Weimar Republic, needs to be examined in more detail in order to create a more comprehensive picture.

The upcoming tours provide an opportunity not only for learning, but also for dialogue and reflection on the topics mentioned above. They are important to keep the memory of Jewish history alive and to advocate for a colorful and diverse society.

Further information about the history of the Jewish community in Rottweil can be found on the website of the [former synagogue]( former-synagoge-rottweil.de ) and in the article by [NRWZ]( nrwz.de ). For deeper insights into the current discussion about Jewish life in Germany, please refer to the article by [Deutschlandfunk Kultur]( deutschlandfunkkultur.de ) referred.