A history of assimilation and persecution: the Jewish cemetery provides a clear insight into the fate of Bad Münstereifel's Jewish citizens. From 1823 to 1932, they buried their dead here in Quecken, but even before that, at least two funerals took place there – against the will of the authorities.
The first traces of Jewish residents in Münstereifel date back to the 14th century.
Until the end of the 18th century, however, no more than three Jewish families lived in Münstereifel at any one time, because immigration was restricted: Jews had to obtain a letter of safe conduct from the Duke of Jülich. Until the 18th century, Jews buried their dead in an unauthorised place in the Hardtwald forest.
With the invasion of the French in 1794, conditions changed and more and more Jewish families moved to Münstereifel. As a result, a new burial site had to be created: the Jewish cemetery in Quecken. Its oldest graves are located in the highest area. Their inscriptions are entirely in Hebrew
The Jews increasingly assimilated, took part in public festivals and became involved in associations. With assimilation, the number of German-language inscriptions increased, which have predominated since the beginning of the 20th century. It is not known how many people found their final resting place in the Jewish cemetery. Some graves have been lost, and some inscriptions are no longer legible, partly due to the devastation caused during the pogrom night of 1938.
The memorial stone in the Jewish cemetery commemorates the deported Jewish citizens. It lists 19 names, but the number of victims was greater. Ludwig Kaufmann donated the stone in 1961, when the association “Verein Alter Münstereifeler” completely restored the Jewish cemetery, which had fallen into disuse after 1932.
