Grabfeld: Village History, Jewish Heritage and Nature

Jewish Heritage in Berkach

The Jewish heritage complex in Berkach comprises a synagogue, a bathhouse, a school and a cemetery. The synagogue and the Jewish school on Mühlfelder Straße were built between 1852 and 1854. In 1990/91, the synagogue was restored for use as a synagogue and was ceremonially rededicated on 3 November 1991 in the presence of Rita Süssmuth, then President of the Bundestag. Many of the inscriptions on the gravestones in the well-preserved Jewish cemetery are still clearly legible.

The Jewish ritual bath, or mikveh, was built in 1838 and restored in 1990. A circular trail with information panels, created in 2014, connects the Jewish heritage sites. In Berkach, you can encounter buildings, places of remembrance and information about various aspects of Jewish history. If you are interested in architectural development, you can compare the dates of the synagogue and Jewish school with the earlier date of the ritual bath.

Museums and Schiller’s Footsteps

The Willfried Büttner Museum is housed in the Old School in Jüchsen, a building dating from 1616, and displays numerous exhibits on the history of the town. Visits are by appointment. The Behrungen Open-Air Museum of German-German History includes a border fence and many other objects. Visits are scheduled for every third Sunday of the month and by appointment; check in advance whether these visiting arrangements are still current. Wolfmannshausen also has a local history museum with a house figure.

Another highlight is Bauerbach: the manor house of the von Wolzogen family now houses a museum illustrating the period when Friedrich Schiller lived and worked there for seven months. Open-air performances are held in Bauerbach every year. The historic Schiller hiking trail runs from Meiningen to Bauerbach. This gives you several cultural points of interest to choose from: literary history, a museum visit and open-air performances.

Village Architecture and Historic Streetscapes

Exdorf was first mentioned in a document in 951 under the name Heigesdorf. Preserved half-timbered houses help shape the village’s character, and historic late medieval farm entrance portals are among its architectural traces. The village church stands out for its massive tower and distinctive curved dome. In Nordheim, the council house and bakehouse, built in the 18th century, has a double staircase. A church was built in the centre of Queienfeld in 1720 beside an old defensive tower; part of the defensive ditch has been preserved.

Nature and Trails in Grabfeld

The Seeben nature reserve in Behrungen has a variety of vegetation structures and a diverse range of species. Southwest of Jüchsen, near the road to Queienfeld, lie the Wirtswiese and Graulache meadows. Both were designated protected landscape features in 1996. The Widderstatt near Jüchsen is a prehistoric settlement site that people visited from 8000 BC onwards. Nature and history meet here, without a single building serving as the starting point.

From the Widderstatt, the signposted Celtic Adventure Trail leads towards the Steinsburg near Römhild or to the Dolmar; check the current route before setting off. The circular trail Zur Platte starts in Exdorf and is part of the Castles Hiking Trail. Together with the Schiller hiking trail, these routes offer different themes to explore along the way: prehistoric traces, castles and literary history.

More to Explore in the Wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen Travel Region

The wider Schmalkalden-Meiningen travel region also offers a broader landscape setting: the district’s Prachtregion encompasses the Thuringian Forest, the Rhön, the Werra Valley and Grabfeld. The Werra Valley Cycle Path is ideal for multi-day cycling tours, while canoe trips on the Werra offer a different perspective on the river. These regional travel ideas differ from the historic villages and museums that are the focus of Grabfeld. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider whether you would prefer to focus on village history and cultural sites, or on nature and trails.

Discover more destinations: Unterschönau, Kühndorf, Wallbach, Schwarza, Kleinschmalkalden, Roßdorf, Sülzfeld, Rosa

View the overview of the wider travel region: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.