Swiss archaeologists uncovered and gathered the skeletal
remains of approximately 40 Jewish bodies that had been
buried in an ancient cemetery in Basel, and then failed to
inform the local Jewish community for a period of two months.
Now Jewish officials are working to have the bones properly
reburied and to prevent further dishonor to the dead, says R'
Dovid Rosenberg, an attorney based in Zurich who serves as
the Swiss representative to the Committee for the
Preservation of European Cemeteries.
During excavation work in the basement of the University of
Basel as part of a project to expand the building's
ventilation system, workers discovered human skeletons.
Archaeologists were summoned and, based on previous findings
at the same site, believed the bones were from ancient Jewish
graves.
When the university's foundations were laid in 1937 at
Petersplatz, explains R' Rosenberg, the local Jews were
afraid of possible repercussions at the hands of the Nazis if
they voiced protests over the digging at the site. They were
satisfied to receive 150 skeletons that had been disinterred
and brought to archaeologists and anthropologists for
research work. The researchers determined the graves were
undoubtedly Jewish since fragments of gravestones were found.
The graves were arranged in three layers, testifying to the
cemetery's age. The skeletons were all buried in the new
Jewish cemetery in Basel. At that point it was assumed the
ancient cemetery had been transferred in its entirety.
When renovation work on the university building began in
December 2002, human bones were unexpectedly found and at
least 40 skeletons were removed and brought to university
laboratories for research. University officials say they
informed a certain Jewish figure, but the information did not
reach the local Jewish community.
On the 14th of January, somehow a reporter for a local Basel
newspaper Baselshtrab learned of the incident, but the
news was hushed. When the editor-in- chief heard about the
affair just three weeks ago, he ran a prominent story
including a photograph of the building.
The Swiss chareidi community was alerted and went immediately
to work. Last week R' Dovid Rosenberg travelled from Zurich
to Basel and arranged a meeting attended by the Chief
Archaeologist of Switzerland and local rabbonim--Rav Bentzion
Sneiders, av beis din Kahal Adas Yeshurun (the
chareidi kehilloh), Basel's new rov Rav Arye Folger
and his predecessor Rav Yaakov Levinger, who was visiting
Basel at the time.
R' Rosenberg says the local authorities and the university
administration immediately expressed willingness to meet
halachic requirements. "We reached an agreement within 48
hours," he says.
Since the cemetery could not be preserved intact, it was
agreed to cover it with a layer of cement and to transfer the
40 skeletons for burial in the city's current cemetery.
Rosenberg hopes this will bring a close to the incident,
although he was surprised at the failure to disclose the
information for two months.
Jews settled in the German part of Switzerland starting in
the middle of the 13th century. The first kehillos
were set up in Basel, Bern and Zurich. By 1350 there were
already 30 kehillos in Switzerland, where Jews engaged
in traditional occupations such as peddling and currency
exchange. The country was also home to some gedolei
Torah such as HaRav Moshe of Zurich, who wrote
hago'os on the SmaK. The cemetery discovered in
Basel appears to be from this early period.
The Black Plague led to pogroms around Europe, including
Switzerland. Jews were murdered or banished from the
country.
Jews only returned to Switzerland in the beginning of the
19th century, but encountered antisemitism in various forms,
including a prohibition in 1893 against kosher
shechitoh on grounds of alleged cruelty to animals.
Today there are 18,000 Jews living in Switzerland out of a
total population of seven million. There are several chareidi
kehillos and official Jewish organizations.
Rav Arye Folger, Basel's official chief rabbi, assumed the
post six months ago. Born in Belgium he studied in yeshivos
in the US and Israel. The chareidi community has a rov of its
own, Rav Sneiders.
