Börneplatz Memorial, Frankfurt

The Börneplatz Memorial is a tribute to the Jewish community of Frankfurt that suffered immense devastation during the Holocaust. It was opened to the public on June 16, 1996.

The memorial comprises several significant features. In the heart of the square, along Rechneigrabenstrasse, stands a stone cube constructed from the remains of the foundations of the former ghetto. This cube is encircled by a grove of plane trees, and the square's ground is paved with gray gravel stones. The layout of the Börneplatz synagogue, which was constructed in 1882 and tragically vandalized during the November pogrom of 1938, is outlined by metal rails on the ground. Additionally, a memorial plaque for the destroyed synagogue can be found on the rear wall of the municipal utilities building.

At the core of the memorial is the frieze adorning the outer wall of the old Jewish cemetery. This frieze serves as a remembrance for the Frankfurt Jews who perished during the Nazi regime or succumbed to persecution. At the time of the memorial's dedication, a total of 11,134 victims had been identified, and their biographical information is engraved on metal blocks resembling gravestones. In line with Jewish burial traditions, visitors to the memorial have the opportunity to place small stones there.

The memorial also incorporates other elements, designed by Wandel Lorch Architects, that evoke the complex history of the former Frankfurt Judengasse and Börneplatz, as well as the tragic obliteration of Jewish life in the city.