5 December 2008
The Lo Tishkach Foundation has completed a report on legislation and practice relating to the protection and preservation of Jewish burial grounds in Germany. The survey, based on preliminary research, finds that responsibility for the preservation of these sites reflects the country’s federal political structure.
Under the terms of an exemplary 1957 national agreement on the preservation of Jewish cemeteries, individual Länder and Jewish community associations jointly determine its regional implementation. In 2007, the Federal Government and the Länder provided a budget of 6 million Euros for maintaining a surface of 4.5 million square metres, which includes most of Germany’s approximately 2,000 visible Jewish cemeteries.
A majority of Jewish cemeteries in Germany are listed as protected sites under Länder-based cultural heritage legislation. The Lo Tishkach Foundation recommends that this status be extended to the remaining cemeteries whenever legal qualification criteria are met.
