50°14' N 7°21' E, 304.6 miles WSW of Berlin. Wierschem is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. Castle. The earliest known information about the town of Wierschem dates from about the year 1100 gathered from ancient living quarters and remnants of Roman fortifications excavated in 1966. During the Middle Ages Wierschem belonged to the Eltzer reigning lords. In 1680 twelve families lived there. By 1858 the population rose to 350, of whom 17 were Jewish. Bordering on Wierschem is the Eltzer property with castle --- a powerful fortresswith towers and pinnacles. For many years Jews lived in Wierschem near the castle, paying tribute to the nobility in return for protection and safety.

--- are inscribed in Hebrew in the Mertloch cemetery.

CEMETERY: 56294 Rhineland-Palatinate (Gerz, Peters). Elzewald. The ancient Jewish cemetery on the mountain slopes of Burg Eltz on the castle property has several gravestones that survived the Holocaust.

This old cemetery is tucked away from the main road. The gate is located; btain the key at the townhall or the tourist service. Park the car next to the main road near Kreuz kapelle but this cemetery only reachable via the road. Until 1850 the Jewish population in the region of Mertloch, Polch and neighboring villages were buried in at cemetery in the forest of the counts of Eltz near Wierschem. From 1856 efforts were made to establish a cemetery in the vicinity of Mertloch. In 1868 Jewish families from the villages Kollig, Gappenach, Mertloch, Naunheim, Münstermaifeld, Polch, Pillig and Wierschem bought a large piece of land as a Jewish cemetery. The cemetery is 12.20 with about 70 tombstones. The cemetery is located on the street to Naunheim, after end village about 500 m on the left. photo. photos. [Sept 2012]