Unveiling of an informational panel at a Jewish burial ground
On July 17, 2025, at 4:30 PM, the Jewish cemetery in Grasweg, Neustadt will inaugurate a new information board as part of the statewide project "Stone Witnesses - Signposting Jewish Cemeteries in Schleswig-Holstein."
This project, led by the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute and the University of Kiel, aims to make Jewish cemeteries in Schleswig-Holstein more visible and provide insights into their history. The initiative is an effort to preserve and raise awareness of Jewish heritage sites in the region, contributing to Holocaust remembrance, local history education, and respect for Jewish cultural heritage.
The attractively designed and well-researched information board in Grasweg will convey knowledge about Jewish burial culture. It will also explain how to visit the cemetery with respect and provide QR codes for further digital information.
The event will be graced by the presence of several dignitaries, including Mayor Mirko Spieckermann, Dr. Gerhard Ulrich, the State Commissioner for Jewish Life and against Antisemitism, and Dr. Helge-Fabien Hertz, the project leader of the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute. Pastor Sarah Lotzkat of the Evangelical Lutheran Parish will also deliver a greeting, underscoring the interfaith significance of the occasion.
Kiel student Ela Kaya will deliver a presentation, while Dietrich Mau will lead a tour of the Jewish cemetery in Grasweg. The board in Grasweg will inform about the history of the Jewish cemetery in Neustadt and connect it to larger historical contexts, such as the Cap Arcona disaster in May 1945.
The implementation in Neustadt in Holstein was carried out in cooperation with the city of Neustadt in Holstein, regional researcher Dietrich Mau, and the Protestant parish of Neustadt as the cemetery's custodian. The project is supported by the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute, Sparkassenstiftung Schleswig-Holstein, the State Commissioner for Political Education, and Jewish communities and associations.
All interested parties are warmly invited to attend the event, learning about the Jewish cemetery as an important site of remembrance. The event serves as a sign against forgetting, emphasising the historical presence of Jewish populations in the region and the importance of preserving their cultural heritage.
The Grasweg information board, part of the "Home-and-Garden" section of the Stone Witnesses project, will offer insights into the Jewish burial culture and local history, making it a valuable resource for those interested in education-and-self-development, particularly in understanding Jewish heritage. As the project progresses, this well-designed board will serve as a gateway for further exploration, linking the history of the Jewish cemetery in Neustadt to broader historical contexts, such as the Cap Arcona disaster, thereby reflecting an essential aspect of the region's lifestyle.
