‚The unblemished joys of life are friendship, love, and a cheerful spirit‘ – so reads a poem by Christoph August Tiedge, whose lines Lina Mayer wrote in 1890 in the autograph book of 17-year-old Johanetta Mayer from Laufersweiler. At the time, the entry was a sign of deep affection – today, it is an occasion for remembrance.
The autograph book itself has an eventful history: Johanetta Mayer was born in Laufersweiler in 1873. She spent her life there and, together with her husband Isaak Frank, she started a family. Johanetta died young; Isaak was among the last Jewish residents of the village to be deported to Theresienstadt in July 1942. Their daughter Alma and her family had already left Laufersweiler in February 1939 to start a new life in Eretz Israel. The autograph book remained unnoticed among the family’s belongings – until Johanetta’s great-granddaughter rediscovered it in 2022 in a box in Alonei Abba (Galilee, Israel) and donated it to the Förderkreis Synagoge Laufersweiler. After careful restoration by a book artist, this rare copy is now part of the collection of the Forst-Mayer Study Center for Rural Judaism.
Here the memories from Johanetta’s youth take on a deeper meaning: The poetry album preserves traces of the past. It is both a personal memento and a historical source that offers insights into family networks, friendships, and the lifestyles and values of bygone eras.
Taking part in ‚European Day of Jewish Culture‘, which this year has the theme ‚Love‘, Christof Pies presents this special autograph book. He sheds light on the lives of different generations of the Mayer family and, through the entries, traces a multifaceted network of friendship, family, and community.
The former synagogue will be open to visitors on September 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Christof Pies will give short lectures offering insights into the album. Admission is free; registration is not required.