The Jewish cemetery in Dorsten was probably opened in 1628 and burials took place up to 1941.  With its 27 graves it is unfortunately the only remaining Jewish site in Dorsten. It has been relatively well maintained but the “stone witnesses“ are, of course, exposed to wind, weather and decay.  The Eisendrath family has always done what they can to preserve the site.

When in 2001 experts found that some of the gravestones, which mainly date back to the 19th century, had been damaged by weathering and were in real danger, the Jewish Museum of Westphalia raised the alarm. Professor Hans Leisen of Cologne University of Applied Sciences offered to carry out the work together with his students. Two gravestones of the Eisendrath family were among those that were badly damaged.

A generous donation from the “Council of Michigan Foundation“, in which descendants of the Eisendrath family are involved,  meant that in 2003 a detailed study of the damage and restoration were possible. This was done in conjunction with the Regional Association of the Jewish Communities of Westphalia.

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