What is Unique in Frankfurt, Germany?

Most people think of Frankfurt, Germany as the place with the airport or the place where some of the world’s largest conventions are held. They’re right, of course. Frankfurt is more than that, though. To find out what is unique in Frankfurt, look no further than the two super cool activities that I am writing about today and in the next article (to be released soon-ish).

Judengasse is unique in Frankfurt because it is the oldest

Venice, Italy is home to Europe’s oldest Jewish ghetto that you can still walk through. It was founded by a governmental decree in 1516. Leaders wanted all Jews segregated from the rest of the population. That is fascinating enough history on its own.

But, I discovered that the modern metropolis of Frankfurt, Germany is home to a piece of hidden history of which many visitors are unaware. Fifty-six years earlier than in Venice (1460) a governmental decree created Europe’s very first Jewish ghetto. Today, it is only ruins. The neighborhood did not survive intact as it did in Venice. The story of these ruins is riveting too.

An Accidental Find & A Purposeful Protest

The Jüdisches Museum sits on a street corner in a modern brick building. By the 17^th Century, 3,000 people were crammed into the apartments along this one, narrow street. One of the things that is unique in Frankfurt history is that in 1987, a new public utility building was under construction. The foundations of the ghetto were unearthed. The official response was (basically), “So what? Tear that stuff down and keep construction moving.” Fortunately, local citizens raised a giant ruckus. After months of protests, an (less-than-ideal) agreement was reached. The foundations of five houses were saved and a museum was built over and around them. The rest of the block was razed for the erection of the public utility offices.

The Exhibition

One of my favorite things is seeing how museums implement technology, a/v, and multimedia to enhance the visitor experience. Some of Alabama’s museums are absolute pros at this. At this museum, 3D models of the original street illuminate in sections to show which foundations still exist, which portions were destroyed, where the synagogue was, where the kosher butcher was and more.

Coupled with a breathtaking array of personal objects and a listening room where visitors can hear music and literature that were written or played here, a visitor gets an accurate picture of daily life in this neighborhood. Additionally, the glass display cases for the artifacts have buttons that allow the visitor to choose from one of three languages. In this way, visitors who do not speak fluent German can still learn all the information that an interpretive panel next to an object has to teach. Brilliant!

Ticket Information

Our six (6) euro tickets were a bargain. For this price, we got access to the museum, the ancient Jewish cemetery next door, and a locker to hold our belongings while we walked around. Why do you need a locker, you ask? 1) Because Germany is often cold, and no one wants to wear a winter coat, hat and scarf while strolling through a museum. 2) It is a security feature. Large bags are not permitted.

In a particularly sad commentary on the state of our world, visitors should know that before reaching the ticket counter they will have to go through a metal detector and a bag inspection by security guards. Lockers are located next to the ticket counter, so you leave your belongings behind as soon as you get your ticket. Sadly, metal detectors and bag checks are not unique in Frankfurt. Many Jewish sites around the world implemented them long before the current political climate existed.

The Cemetery

During my travels, I’ve seen some impressive cemeteries and final resting places. Unique in Frankfurt is the cemetery on Battonnstrasse. When you visit the Jüdisches Museum, upon request, the front desk will give you a key for the cemetery gate. Gentleman, remember to bring a head covering for visiting the cemetery. (Though the museum can provide one if you forget yours). Exit the museum and walk down the sidewalk past a wall of thousands of tiny blocks engraved with names of Holocaust victims and use your key in the iron gate.

This is the second oldest preserved Jewish cemetery north of the Alps. The oldest existing headstone is from 1272.

On the summer day we visited, the cemetery had nearly knee-high grass. Tombstones are crooked, overlapping and ancient. Large piles of rubble that were once headstones lay untouched where the Nazis left them after ordering the headstones to be shattered and used for building material. They destroyed about 6500 headstones. Roughly 2500 graves still survive today.  It isn’t always a pretty picture, this cemetery. It is precisely for that reason that I found myself unable to speak while there. Its resilience is the perfect analogy for Jewish history.

A Final Note on History

What is unique in Frankfurt, Germany? It’s not the airport. It’s not the exhibition center. It is the moment when you (like me) walk soundlessly down the remnants of the steps below modern-day Frankfurt and stand in the entrance to a centuries-old Mikvah. (Jewish ritual bath).

Often we think that history happened long ago. Technically, that is the definition. However, we make history every day ourselves. It was unique for me to learn history and become history as I saw an apartment on the block labeled with my own maiden name. It is all a great, endless circle, isn’t it?