1611 - Jewish Cemeteries on Königstrasse - Additional Info Landmarks of Jewish History
1590/5350. Arrival in Hamburg and Altona
From the 1580s, Jews who had been forcibly baptized, known as Conversos, fled Portugal to escape the Inquisition. Settling in Hamburg by 1590, they were officially considered Catholic. Gradually, they returned to Judaism and organized into Sephardic synagogue communities. In 1603, the Hamburg City Parliament demanded the expulsion of Portuguese Jews and restricted religious observance. At around the same time, Ashkenazi Jews settled in Altona, where they were granted extensive congregational autonomy.
1649/5409. Expulsion from Hamburg
The first Ashkenazi Jews in Hamburg were members of the Altona Congregation. They fled to the fortified city to escape danger and stayed there. A dispute raged between the city council, the city parliament, and the church over the expulsion of the Portuguese Jews. For economic reasons, the decision was made not to expel the Portuguese Jews, but rather the poorer Ashkenazi Jews. The majority of Ashkenazi Jews had to leave the city, and many of them settled in Altona.
Captions
Portuguese Synagogue in Altona
Ludwig Schwarz, pen-and-ink drawing, 1917, reproduction
SHMH-Altona Museum, Inv. No. 1919-140
Around 1770, just under 20 Sephardic families resided in Altona. In 1771, the Neve Shalom Congregation dedicated a synagogue built in a backyard on Bäckerstrasse in Altona. In 1882, the congregation disbanded and sold the synagogue to the High German Israelite Congregation. The building was demolished in 1940.
Abraham Senior Teixeira
Merchant, c. 1581 – 1666
Born in Portugal, Teixeira fled the Inquisition as a forcibly baptized Jew. In 1646, he settled with his family in Hamburg. On Good Friday 1647, the family publicly converted to Judaism. Abraham and his son Isaac were successful merchants. Among other things, they served as residents of the Swedish queen in Hamburg.
Rodrigo de Castro
Physician, c. 1550 – 1627
The physician Rodrigo de Castro came to Hamburg about 1592. Here he opened a medical practice and quickly became a renowned specialist in gynecology. Considered a Catholic, he was initially interred in a Christian cemetery. A year after his death, he was reburied in the Jewish cemetery on Königstrasse.
Foreigners’ Contract between the Hamburg City Council and the Portuguese Jews dated February 19th 1612
Document, 1612, reproduction
Hamburg State Archives, reference number 111-1-92854,116
In 1612, the Hamburg City Council concluded a contract of settlement with the Portuguese Jews that granted them residence in the city. In return, however, the contract contained a number of restrictions, such as a ban on religious practice and a ban on building synagogues.
Gravestone of Shmuel ben Jehuda at the Cemetery Königstrasse
Michael Kohls, Photography, 2025
The grave of the founder of the Altona Congregation, Shmuel ben Jehuda, who died on August 17, 1621. It is the oldest preserved grave in the Ashkenazi cemetery. His descendants took the surname Altona, probably to show their attachment to the place.
Letter of Protection from Count Ernst III of Holstein-Schauenburg for the Jews of Altona, May 5, 1612
Document, 1612, reproduction
Schleswig-Holstein State Archives, reference number Dept. 3, No. 58
In exchange for payment of protection money, the Jews of Altona were granted the right to practice their religion, reside in the town, engage in gainful employment, and receive protection from the sovereign. The privileges in Altona were far less restrictive than elsewhere, making Altona an attractive place to live.
Lion Sculpture from the Fountain at the Jewish Cemetery in Altona
One of two replicas of the original from 1736, stone casting
SHMH-Altona Museum, Inv. No. AB07821,1
The lion figure was donated by the burial brotherhood in 1736 and adorned the fountain at the entrance to the cemetery. Before leaving the grounds, the faithful washed their hands there. Around 1943, the original figure found its way into the Altona Museum and was returned to the Hamburg Jewish Congregation in 2013.
Glossar
Ashkenazi and Sephardic
The term Ashkenazi refers to Eastern and Central European Jews and their traditions. Sephardic Jews came from Spain and Portugal. North African Jewish culture, for example, is also Sephardic.
Inquisition
The Inquisition was an institution of the Catholic Church in the late Middle Ages and early modern period. Its purpose was to identify, investigate and punish religious beliefs that deviated from the Catholic ‘norm’.
Jewish calendar
The Jewish calendar begins in the year 3761 before the common era. The reference point for the calendar is the creation of the world. The Jewish New Year, Rosh haShana, is celebrated in the month of Tishri. According to the Gregorian calendar commonly used in Germany, for example, this month begins in September or October.
