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In the 19th century, the Jews in Coburg experienced significant social advancement. One remarkable example was the banker and grain merchant Jacob von Mayer, who was even elevated to the nobility.
Born in 1832, Mayer began his career with a peddling business, selling seeds and grain before settling in Coburg in 1857. His grain business flourished there and he was granted citizenship in 1862. He acquired his first business property in 1868. As his enterprise continued to expand after 1873, the existing premises could no longer accommodate it. Mayer therefore acquired the site here in Judengasse, where he built a granary (No. 41), an office building (No. 43-45), and stables in 1881. He also established branches in Frankfurt am Main, Teschen (now Cieszyn in Silesia), and Schweinfurt.
In recognition of his achievements, Duke Ernst II of Coburg awarded Mayer several honours and ultimately elevated him to the rank of baron in 1889. This decision sparked antisemitic criticism in Ernst's circle, which the duke successfully countered. Mayer’s social ascent reached its peak in 1891, when he purchased Ketschendorf Castle.
Furthermore, he was politically active for the common good. In 1899, he was the first Jew to be elected to the city council. He was also a co-founder and member of Coburg’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which was established in 1896. Mayer was particularly committed to improving Coburg's transport links and insistently called, albeit unsuccessfully, for the construction of a railway connection from Coburg to Erfurt. Motivated by social concern, he donated substantial sums for the care of the elderly and the sick.
Mayer died in 1901 at the age of 68. His heirs dissolved the business and left Coburg. Part of his wealth was donated to charitable causes. Today, a plaque at the town hall and a street in Ketschendorf still commemorate his legacy.
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A Jewish community existed in Coburg by 1301 with a synagogue and cemetery. It vanished after expulsion in the 15th century and did not return for centuries.
About the Path of remembrance
The “Jewish Life in Coburg” path of remembrance commemorates Coburg's Jewish community in 14 stations. The stations cover the period from the integration of Jews into Coburg society in the mid-19th century to their extermination after the Nazis seized power.
Jewish residents of Coburg were part of the city community for many decades. Under National Socialist rule, the Jewish community and its members in Coburg were wiped out. They had to flee or were murdered. It is our responsibility to keep the memory of their work and suffering alive in the city of Coburg.
The city council of Coburg therefore decided in 2023 to commemorate Jewish life in Coburg with a path of remembrance. The path of remembrance was officially inaugurated on July 31, 2025.