Jüdischer Friedhof Schwelm, Jewish cemetery in Schwelm, Germany.
The Jüdischer Friedhof Schwelm sits on a hillside roughly 1.3 kilometers from the old town center and holds 86 gravestones laid out in orderly rows. The stones transition from older sandstone to polished granite, reflecting changing craftsmanship over time.
Founded around 1776, this cemetery served the Jewish community of Schwelm and neighboring areas until the last burial in 1943. Its establishment marks when the Jewish population became rooted in the region and maintained a presence for more than 150 years.
The inscriptions on the gravestones tell the story of Jewish families who lived in this region and their connection to the town. Walking through the rows, you can trace family names and relationships that shaped the local community over generations.
The cemetery is open to visitors and located at Delle 64, with gentle slopes that are easy to walk through. City maintenance and local volunteers keep the grounds in good condition, so you can easily read the gravestones and move between the rows.
One gravestone dates to 1713, predating the cemetery's official founding, which shows that Jewish life was already present in the area before formal burial grounds were established. A 20th-century memorial was created by sculptor Leopold Fleischhacker and bears his distinctive artistic mark.
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