Hafnermarkt 14

House Hafnermarkt 13 today
The former Slaughterhouse
Year built: 1753
Built by: Kappel Samson
Change of Ownership: 1795 Johann Peter, shoemaker, bought it
  1829 It goes to Johann Peter Reuter, shoemaker
  1834 The Israeli Parish of Gunzenhausen bought it.
  As of 1883 the building was used as the Kosher slaughter house and "Mikwe", the ritual cleansing bath for the women.
  1938 During the Pogrom the building was desecrated.
  The Israeli Parish had to part with it. The City of Gunzenhausen took it over.
  1960 Hans and Marie Burgis, who owned a Gardening and Horticulture business bought it.
  1977 The City of Gunzenhausen acquired the property again and renovated it extensively. In the process the Jewish Ritual Bath was uncovered/exposed again. But it was not restored, it was just covered up again.
  In 1990 the District Department of Tourism moved into the restored building.
The uncovered Ritual Bath

After the renovation, a stele by the artist Ernst Steinacker was placed in the courtyard of the house. The menorah can be seen at the top, and a quote from a Jewish prayer is engraved in the middle part. These lines are part of the main prayer at the Rosh Hashanah evening service:

And so the righteous may hear and rejoice when the reign of evil will disappear from the earth

 

 

 

Memorial plaques at the former Jewish slaughterhouse commemorate the Jewish victims from Gunzenhausen. Hardly any of these people have their own grave, so it is the only place where they are written down publicly as victims.

Commemoration ceremony in 2013 © Franz Müller

On November 9, 2013, mayor, councilors, contemporary witnesses and students called out the names of all the victims. They told the audience about their experiences with some of these people and some connections that still exist today.

Jewish visitors and students in 2015

 

Jewish visitors are looking for the names of their ancestors.