Live Virtual Tour of Jewish Frankfurt with Jo Ator
The German Embassy in Ottawa, in commemoration of Holocaust Education Month, is offering live virtual walking tours of Frankfurt’s Jewish heritage, led by Jo Ator of “Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tours.”
Join us to gain a deeper understanding of the stories and histories that have shaped Frankfurt’s Jewish community.
Tour Highlights:
- Book Burning Memorial: A somber testament to the Nazi book burnings and the suppression of Jewish intellectualism.
- Stumbling Stones (Stolper Steine): Brass-plated stones embedded in the streets, marking the remembrance of victims of the Nazi regime.
- Jewish Holocaust Memorial Wall: A memorial to the 12,000 Jewish citizens of Frankfurt lost to the Holocaust, including the names of Anne, Margot, and Edith Frank.
- Medieval Jewish Cemetery: A significant site reflecting Frankfurt’s Jewish history and community through the centuries.
- Jewish Ghetto Wall: Originally a city defense structure from 1180, which later encircled the Jewish ghetto.
- Deportation Memorial at the ECB: Once the wholesale produce hall, its basement was rented by the Gestapo to process the Jewish population for deportation. The external memorial features eyewitness quotes engraved into the sidewalk, a ramp leading to the basement, and the very tracks used for the trains. The adjacent railroad bridge offers a vantage point for the tracks and provides translations of the engraved quotes.
About Jo Ator: Jo Ator, a long-time resident of Frankfurt originally from Columbus, Ohio, and a dedicated historian, will guide you through pivotal Jewish sites in Frankfurt.
Register for the Frankfurt tour here or via the link below.
These virtual tours present an opportunity for introspection, learning, and understanding the profound impact of the Holocaust on Jewish communities across these German cities. Together, let us remember, reflect, and ensure such horrors are never repeated.
