The cemetery was constructed with the financial cooperation of the Jewish communities of Hirschaid und Gunzendorf, with Hirschaid being the registered property owner. There is a well built mortuary located close to the cemetery entrance. Wire mesh fencing, with a wrought-iron gate, surrounds the cemetery, which is kept in well-tended condition by the city of Buttenheim.
Severe damage and desecration of the cemetery occurred in 1931, when 67 gravestones were toppled and partially destroyed. This outrage was widely reported in the Jewish media in Germany. Another case of vandalism took place in 1939, when 30 gravestones were toppled.
The cemetery is now protected under a preservation order for sites of historic interest
Levi Strauss, the inventor of "jeans", lived in Buttenheim prior to emigrating to the USA. The house where he was born in 1829 is now the much visited Levi Strauss Museum.
