Our Last Day in Frankfurt

Just when you think you can’t top the days we’ve had, here’s another amazing day. 

We started at the Judengasse Museum. It’s difficult to describe this museum — it is on the first floor of a new municipal building. The building was built on the remains of the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt. This ghetto dates back to 1460. I’m afraid this is one of several old Jewish ghettos in Europe that we have explored. Here, the remains have been unearthed and reconstructed. For more info, click on the link above. 

After viewing the displays and walking in the reconstructed areas, we visited the next part of this museum, which left the greatest impression on me. 

Pictures first and then some explanation. 

The first two photos are of the unearthed foundations of the Judengassen. Outside the museum (which contains these foundations) stands the remains of the first (or oldest) Jewish Cemetery in Frankfurt. Surrounding the Alter Jüdischer Friedhof (or Old Jewish Cemetery) not be confused with the other Old Cemetery we visited Tuesday which only dated back into the 19th century is a wall. This is a memorial wall with stones remembering all the Jews of Frankfurt who were murdered by the Nazis. (It’s okay to say this, although here in Frankfurt, most discussions say National Socialist Party.)

After this emotional visit, we had lunch. On Heidi’s and Rick Steve’s suggestion we went to the Sachsenhausen  This is an old area of Frankfurt south of the river Main. Not to be confused with the Nazi concentration camp of the same name but in a different area of Germany. It is known for restaurants with outside communal tables and Apple Wine. We sat at the restaurant suggested by both above mentioned guides and we ate our last schnitzel of the week. Ralph saw a sign on the restaurant next to us and said “Do you see the sign with the boy with long fingernails?” I thought he had too much Apple Wine. 

This was a book, Struwwel Peter  that Frieda read to Ralph when he was a young boy. He hadn’t thought of this in 70 years! Frieda spoke again to Ralph on this visit to “her Town”. Remember, she spoke to me when we saw the Philanthropin.