Jüdischer Friedhof an der Mombacher Straße in Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz

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Get directions 63 Mombacher Straße
Mainz, Stadtkreis Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany

Coordinates: 50.00497, 8.25168
Cemetery ID:

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About these numbers These percentages indicate the number of Find a Grave memorials that have a grave photo or GPS coordinates. We don't know the total number of burials in a cemetery, so we cannot calculate a percentage of those with memorials, photos or GPS coordinates.

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There has probably been a Jewish cemetery located in this area since the 11th century. According to tradition, a plot for a Jewish cemetery was purchased by Shmuel and his wife Rahel in 1012.

This cemetery is recognized as the oldest Jewish cemetery in Germany and had the oldest Jewish tombstone. The tombstone has since been transferred to the Mainz Museum due to its historical significance.

In 1438 the Jews were expelled from Mainz and the cemetery site was cleared and plowed for use as a vineyard. The tombstones for the most part were used for construction material. Jews were allowed back in town in 1445, given back part of the cemetery but again expelled in 1462. They returned and the cemetery was in use up until 1880 when it was no longer allowed since the city limits had enveloped it.

The new Jewish cemetery on Untere Zahlbacher Strasse, next to the municipal cemetery, was opened on 2 January 1881 and all further burials were done there.

During renovations of buildings in the area, a number of the old grave stones were found and returned to the cemetery. Due to age, many of the stones are in poor condition with their fronts peeling and one is no longer able to read them. While the majority is in Hebrew, some of the later ones are in both Hebrew and German.

As with many of the historical Jewish cemeteries, this one is kept locked and one must secure permission to enter. There is a chain link fence around it.