Rödelheim Synagogue Memorial, Frankfurt-Rödelheim

The synagogue made visibleThe design of the memorial draws an arc from the former Jewish community and its history from 1290 to 1938/1942, which with its synagogue was part of life in Rödelheim, to the subsequent destruction and murder of Jewish citizens. The brutal break in Jewish history and Jewish life in Rödelheim carried out by the National Socialists, symbolized by the path through the synagogue area, is made visible. The names of the Jews murdered or driven to their deaths by the National Socialists are known to this day. The placement of the stele on the line of the wall of the synagogue, i.e. outside and inside at the same time, indicates that Jews were killed because of their Judaism itself, regardless of their religious commitment.The benches and the memorial standing between them depicting the crowded together, degraded and torn from life form the actual place of remembrance. The Torah stone on the east wall of the former synagogue is reminiscent of the center of the synagogue, the shrine with the five books of Moses. Just as the scroll of the law has accompanied the Jewish people through the ups and downs of their history, the stone should be a sign of hope for paths to a better future.(from: Rödelheim Local History Association/Dr. Armin Kroneisen/Werner Fendel, project "Visualization of the Rödelheim Synagogue", <hgv-roedelheim.de/hgvra.htm> )

One should pause here

Take your time and stop