Judensand - old Jewish cemetery Mainz

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Mainz at Judensand

The Old Jewish Cemetery in Mainz, on Judensand, forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Series of SchUM Sites in Speyer, Worms and Mainz. Described as the ‘Home of the Living’ in the Jewish faith, it has been a special, sacred place for almost 1,000 years. More than 1,700 gravestones bear witness to the prosperity, everyday life and deaths of the people who once lived in ‘Magenza’, the Mother Community of ShUM. Since 2021, the Jewish sites in the three Rhine cities have been recognised as a World Heritage Site. The Judensand in Mainz is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in Europe.

Im Vordergrund stehen alte Grabsteine und im Hintergrund steht das Besuchszentrum auf einer erhöhten Plattform

Sali-Levi-Haus Visitor Centre

Alte Grabsteine auf dem Alten Jüdischen Friedhof in Mainz

Cemetery

Plan your visit

Cemetery opening hours

Entrance: Mombacher Straße 63

Wednesday–Friday, Sunday
April–September: 10 am–5 pm
October–March: 10 am–4 pm

Closed on 24–26 December, 1 January and on Jewish holidays (13 September, 20 September, 27 September, 4 October – on 11 September and 25 September only until 2 pm)

Admission

Admission to the Sali-Levi-Haus visitor centre and the cemetery grounds is free.

Information on admission prices or participation fees for events or guided tours can be found in the events calendar under the relevant event.

Visitor Centre Opening Hours

Entrance on Paul-Denis-Straße

Tuesday–Sunday
April–September: 10 am–5 pm
October–March: 10 am–4 pm

Closed 24–26 December and 1 January

Address

Old Jewish Cemetery at Judensand
Mombacher Straße 63
55122 Mainz

Sali-Levi-Haus Visitor Centre
(entrance on Paul-Denis-Straße)
Dr.-Siegmund-Salfeld-Platz 1
55122 Mainz

Plan a visit

Upcoming events

11.10.2026
14:30 Uhr - 16:00 Uhr

Alter Jüdischer Friedhof

Führung: Alter Jüdischer Friedhof – BEIT CHAIM – Haus des Lebens

Dieser Friedhof spiegelt die lange und wechselvolle Geschichte der jüdischen Bevölkerung in Mainz (hebr. Magenza) wider. Als ältester und größter jüdischer Friedhof des mittelalterlichen Europas ist der "Judensand" seit 2021 eine wichtige Komponente des UNESCO-Welte...

Vortrag: "Leben in der Mainzer Judengasse im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert"

1662 mussten alle Mainzer Juden aufgrund einer kurfürstlichen Verordnung in ein geschlossenes Wohnviertel umziehen. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dobras schildert, wie sie dort lebten und wie sich die Kontakte zu ihrer christlichen Umwelt gestalteten. Anhand neu ausgewerteter Quellen entsteht ein plast...

"Die Steine reden" – Vortrag zum 100. Bestehen des Mainzer Denkmalfriedhofs

1926 wurden auf dem alten jüdischen Friedhof mittelalterliche Grabsteine wiederaufgerichtet. Damit erschufen die Rabbiner Salfeld und Levi einen einzigartigen Erinnerungsort für die Mainzer SchUM-Tradition. Anhand der erhaltenen Quellen beleuchtet Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dobras die Erstehung...

SchUM on the Rhine – Jewish Heritage for the World

In the 11th century, the three Jewish communities in Speyer, Worms and Mainz formed a unique confederation of communities that continues to shape the Jewish world to this day. The term ‘SchUM’ is an acronym formed from the initial letters of the three medieval Hebrew names of these cities. For several hundred years, people of the Jewish faith found a home in the Diaspora within these three communities on the Rhine. In this context, the region was also referred to as ‘Jerusalem on the Rhine’. SchUM was the cradle of Ashkenazi Judaism. Within these communities, synagogue architecture and ritual baths were reimagined. A new funeral culture developed, and the Talmudic schools fostered a tradition of scholarship that continues to shape Jewish life to this day.

Now the old ‘Judensand’ has its old stones back – these oldest records of our Jewish history in Mainz.

Holzschnitt einer historischen Stadtansicht von Mainz aus dem Jahr 1565

Magenza/Mainz – Mother Community of ShUM

A digital journey through the history of the SchUM congregation in Mainz: our scrollytelling page traces its history from its beginnings in 912 to the end of its heyday in the 14th century.

More on the history of Mainz, a SchUM city