Desecration of Jewish cemeteries: Online platform launched as a memorial!

Desecration of Jewish cemeteries: Online platform launched as a memorial!

The online platform of the “Net Olam” project will be launched on June 30, 2025, documenting the desecration of Jewish cemeteries nationwide. This innovative digital memorial examines over 2,000 cases at 2,200 burial sites in Germany. The platform contains a comprehensive database that records attacks on graves, buildings and facilities in catalog and map form and is now available online University of Duisburg-Essen reported.

Dr. Helge-Fabien Hertz, a leading figure in the project, emphasizes that anti-Semitism extends to the present day. The platform is based on the most comprehensive data set on desecrations of Jewish cemeteries in Germany, which has been collected since 2021 in collaboration with Jewish regional associations and state criminal investigation offices as well as through the evaluation of literature, press articles and archives. The aim of this online documentation is not only to make incidents visible, but also to protect and preserve Jewish cemeteries.

Interactive platform and features

The interactive platform allows users to identify cemeteries with increased risk and filter information by state, year or type of violence. Further information is provided about the documented incidents, highlighting the procedures, perpetrators and legal consequences. At the same time, the project promotes engagement with Jewish cemeteries and allows users to report new cases. Further information on cases can be obtained via the contact address net-olam@steinheim-institut.org.

The “Net Olam” project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research until 2025 and will receive a total of 900,000 euros, of which 400,000 euros will go to the Steinheim Institute. At the same time, a long-term competence network with 180 members was founded to raise public awareness of Jewish cemeteries and emphasize their importance for local history.

Protection of Jewish cemeteries in Germany

The situation of Jewish cemeteries in Germany, whose desecration has been documented since the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on April 15, 1945, is worrying. In Schleswig-Holstein, for example, there are 22 Jewish cemeteries that are important evidence of a long Jewish history. These cemeteries are often in poor condition and often have no information boards, making them barely visible to the public. A project that is unique in Germany is now intended to equip all cemeteries in Schleswig-Holstein with such boards in order to provide information about their meaning, history and visiting rules, as the “Net Olam” initiative adds.

Jewish cemeteries are vulnerable places that are increasingly the target of attacks. A conference taking place from March 5th to 7th, 2024 at the Salomon Ludwig Steinheim Institute in Essen will address important topics related to the protection and documentation of these cultural assets. Numerous incidents have already been documented, including graffiti with swastikas at the Jewish cemetery in Würselen and desecrations in other cities.

The board members of “Net Olam” plan not only to document the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, but also to actively work on educational work. Helge-Fabien Hertz is also expected to incorporate the topic into educational measures to raise awareness of Jewish history and its challenges for future generations. In this context, a project to mark and make Jewish cemeteries in Poland visible is being discussed in order to initiate similar initiatives. Another aspect is the diverse perspectives on grave care, which should be documented and dealt with in the future.

The digital memorial “Net Olam” is not only a step towards recognizing and protecting Jewish cemeteries, but also an important contribution to the culture of remembrance in Germany.