The Cemetery um 1933

My name is Hans David Blum. When I travel from New York to Breisach, I always visit the Old Cemetery. My ancestors are buried here, right next to the farm that belonged to my parents. 

It was not until 1755 that the Jews were allowed to build a Bet Olam, a cemetery, here in the Günzburger garden. It was the end of a long legal battle. For 100 years, Jews had been buried in the forest of Mackenheim in Alsace, 18 kilometres northwest of Breisach. One had to cross the Rhine to get there. 
After a while, there was no more room in the cemetery and a new one was established in 1875 in the fields outside of town. 

This old photo is the only one we have – this is what the cemetery looked like when we lived here. 
What I see today makes me very sad – during the Nazi era, the cemetery was devastated. The majority of the gravestones have disappeared – they were stolen or smashed. Most of the dead lie buried anonymously under the grass. 
Today, the work I did as a 16-year-old is the only source for finding out who is buried where. 

You can find more information in the attached document