Adelsheim

On the final day of our family visit, we set off for Adelsheim, the hometown of Julie's grandmother.  However, during the late 1930's the nefarious Nazi regime destroyed and uprooted countless lives, including Julie's grandmother and her family.  The Jewish community of Adelsheim was dispossessed, forced to leave their homes and livelihood behind - but thanks to the efforts of Reinhart Lochmann, the memories and heritage of these families will forever be preserved in a museum dedicated to the Jewish community.

During our visit, Adelsheim was hosting their annual Volksmarch, a weekend-long event that starts with a 10 kilometer walk and finishes with endless one-liter curls.  We would also visit two of the adjacent districts, starting with Korb - the birthplace of Julie's grandmother, Gee.  Lastly, we stopped by Sennfeld, the location of the historic Synagogue and home to the museum.

Area visited

After a four hour drive, we met both Reinhart and his wife at their home in Adelsheim.  They welcomed us like family and were excited for our visit.   Once we were all seated and comfortable, Reinhart wanted to confirm the ancestral information for his records.  He was pleased to update his notes and add pictures brought by Julie's family.  For an hour, we shared stories, photo albums, and laughs.  Time flew by and we grew hungry, we headed downtown to tour the city and discover the tradition that famously combines recreational walking and drinking.

Rathaus

Creek running through Adelsheim

Half-timbered building downtown

Statue seen has been there since Gee's childhood

Quiet little area at the end of the Volksmarch

River near the demarcation of Baden and Württemburg

The Volksmarch of Adelsheim is a festival that involves a noncompetitive walk and finishes with bountiful boozing. We didn't see anyone walking, but there was a copious amount drinking.  As we walked the streets, Reinhart recounted the history of the town - adding stories of Gee's childhood in relationship to our location.  He spoke of how the town has changed over the course of years and how some characteristics remain unscathed.  After touring Adelsheim, we stopped by the main tent of the Volksmarch where we ate, drank, and met local townspeople.  It was a wonderful lunch and was great for Julie's parents to have a "truly German"experience outside the realm of sightseeing.  We walked the tents and absorbed the celebratory atmosphere - once satiated with food and drink, we set off to see the neighboring townships, Korb and Sennfeld.

Volksmarch saw competition

A short drive away, we arrived in Korb, the birthplace of Julie's grandmother and the town where she spent the early years of her life.  We saw the house she lived in, but could not go inside due to the current condition.  While in Korb, Reinhart showed us old pictures of Gee's house her school (across the street from her house) and classmates.  Later, we drove to the old synagogue of Sennfeld, to see the museum.

The synagogue was built in 1836 and remains relatively unchanged, however; recent renovations uncovered the original Mikveh.  The museum commemorates the Jewish communities of Adelsheim and traces their imposed relocation to concentration camps.  Reinhart walked us through each section translating the German for us and explaining the significance of each area.  Before departing, Reinhart showed us the visitors' guestbook signed by members of the Jewish community and their relatives. In the books, a handwritten message by Julie's grandmother Gee from years ago (the entry was entirely in German so Reinhart translated for us) - a surreal moment intangible through the use of words or photograph.  Julie's mother added another passage to the book and we made our way to the final stop on our visit.

Entrance, From website, Photo Credit: Hahn

Foundation Stone from 1836.  From website, Photo credit: Hahn

Dedication plaque from 1991, From website, Photo credit: Hahn

Historic Synagogue of Sennfeld. From website, Photo credit: Hahn

One of the exhibits.  From website, Photo credit: Hahn

Lastly, we stopped by the Jewish cemetery to visit the burial site of Julie's great-great-grandparents.  We payed our respects and added a rock to the top of each memorial, a peaceful end to the most humbling of days.

Jewish Cemetery

Paying our respects

With the unequivocal devotion and effort of Reinhart and all those who have helped him, the Jewish community of Adelsheim will always be remembered and the legacy of those who survived will continue to live on through their decedents.