Luemschwiller Jewish Cemetery

Around 1680, the Hauser family settled in Luemschwiller, soon followed by other Jewish families.

In 1766, the town had 105 families, including 22 Jewish ones.

The community peaked in 1808 with 156 members, representing 25% of the population, before declining and disappearing by the eve of the 1870 war.

For nearly two centuries, 209 marriages, 447 births, and 206 deaths attest to its vitality and integration, centered around a synagogue, a Jewish school, and a cemetery.

This cemetery, established around 1794 at a place called "Daegelyrain," is the last remnant of this Jewish presence. It once held about 200 graves, with fragile sandstone tombstones, simple and adorned with Hebrew epitaphs, often damaged by weather and falling trees. Only a few dozen stones remain visible today.

According to Jewish tradition, the souls of the deceased now rest alongside the Righteous in the Garden of Eden.

This memorial site demands respect, silence, and reflection.