Path of Remembrance „Jewish Life in Coburg“

The “Jewish Life in Coburg” path of remembrance commemorates Coburg's Jewish community in 14 stations. The stations cover the period from the integration of Jews into Coburg society in the mid-19th century to their extermination after the Nazis seized power.

1st station
The Jewish Cemetery
From 1849, Jewish cemeteries in Coburg reflected growing emancipation—yet exclusion, restrictions, and antisemitic violence shaped Jewish life there until 1945.
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2nd station
The Hirsch Jewish School
The Jewish boarding school on Hohe Straße offered safety and learning until 1938, when it was closed by force and its director persecuted during the Nazi era.
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3rd station
Synagogue
From 1873 to 1932, the Nikolaus Chapel served as synagogue. It was the heart of Jewish life until persecution robbed the community of its sacred space.
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4th station
The District Court
From 1895, Jewish lawyers shaped Coburg’s legal life. The Nazi regime ended this: they were stripped of rights, barred from work, and faced persecution.
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5th station
The Friedmann Villa
Through social ascent, Jews embraced bourgeois life. Abraham Friedmann lost home and position in 1933 after mistreatment — his fate symbolizes that decline.
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6th station
Sally Ehrlich's residence
Jewish entrepreneurs like the Ehrlich brothers shaped industry with hat and basket goods. In 1938, they were forced out —Sally Ehrlich was later murdered.
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7th station
Mayer Grain Wholesalers
Jacob von Mayer rose from merchant to baron. As banker and benefactor, he shaped Coburg’s public life—until his heirs left and the firm dissolved.
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8th station
The old synagogue
A Jewish community existed in Coburg by 1301 with a synagogue and cemetery. It vanished after expulsion in the 15th century and did not return for centuries.
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9th station
The Beating Parlour
After 1933, Jews were beaten in the police “beating parlour” by SA men. These acts of terror were part of the Nazi persecution machinery in Coburg.
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10th station
Market square
Jews returned to Coburg in the 19th century. Initially equal, they were later persecuted and deported - by 1942, the Jewish community was destroyed.
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11th station
Simon Brothers Residence
In 1805, the Simon family settled in Coburg. Despite harassment, they built a business empire — only to lose it all in 1891 after bankruptcy.
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12th station
Conitzer & Fechheimer department stores
Jewish department stores like Fechheimer and Conitzer shaped modern Coburg. After 1933, they were boycotted, seized, and destroyed. Owners were persecuted.
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13th station
The Kohn Family and the Orthopedic & Surgical Clinic, Dr. Emil Gutmann
Since 2022, Ilse Kohn Square honors a woman murdered in Auschwitz. Her story stands for the persecution of Jewish families during the Nazi era.
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14th station
Stern Livestock Traders
Jewish cattle dealers like Siegfried Stern shaped Coburg’s trade. In 1935, licenses were revoked. Stern fled to the U.S., where he died in exile in 1945.
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