The nomination application for inclusion among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites must follow a required procedure:
In January 2014 the application for formal nomination of the Warehouse District and Kontorhaus District with the Chile House for the UNESCO World Heritage was proposed. Already since 1998, the Chile House has been in the German tentative list, and since 2006 the entire complex. On Juli 5th the World Heritage Committee approved the inscription of the the Warehouse District and Kontorhaus District on the World Heritage List.
The text for the Jewish Cemetery Altona Königstraße to be included in the new tentative list was likewise submitted to the KMK on 1 August 2012. In June 2014 the KMK has decided to include the Jewish Cemetery Altona Königstraße on the tentative list with a chance for possible nomination in 2017. Hamburg is considering to apply for a World Heritage site in the framework of a transnational serial application together with other possible partner countries (the Netherlands, Barbados, Surinam).
The Jewish cemetery on Königstraße in Altona actually consists of two individual cemeteries that when still being used were in close propinquity but separate one from then other. The Sefardic cemetery (‘Sefardim’ are Jewish immigrants from the Iberian peninsula) was established in 1611, while the Ashkenazic cemetery (‘Ashkenazim’ are German Jews and immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia) was set up in 1616. The cemetery has not been further used since 1869.It is a religious site owned by the Jewish Community, preserved as an eternal resting place for the dead. The “good place” on Königstraße is considered to be one of the most important Jewish burial sites worldwide, not only because of its size (nearly two hectares) and its age, but also because of the cultural-historical importance of numerous gravestones there.
The cemetery was reopened in 2007 after extensive work in archiving and restoration. That same year, the Hamburg Monument Foundation constructed the Eduard Duckesz House, opening it as a visitors’ centre and venue for seminars. The Hamburg Monument Foundation administers the cemetery, ensuring regular opening hours for the public and high-quality guided tours.
A transnational serial application is planned for the Hamburg Observatory togehter with the La Plata Astronomical Observatory in Argentina.
* Source: Denkmalschutzamt Hamburg (as of Jan. 2013)
History of the cemetery and its funerary art
Photos, films, interactive sites
Jewish Cemertery Altona - Publications
Jewish life in and around Hamburg
Cimetière juif d'Altona Horaires d'ouverture et visites guides