Burgenland is the easternmost federal state of Austria. In its capital, Eisenstadt, which is about 60 km to the south of Vienna, an orthodox Jewish Community existed until 1938, which was part of the well-known Siebengemeinden (Sheva Kehillot). Jews had lived here since the Middle Ages and stood under the protectorate of the Esterházy noble family since the end of the 17th century.
Eisenstadt's first Jewish quarter, which existed from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, is located directly next to the Esterházy family's palace, where Joseph Haydn was working as a court musician. The younger Jewish quarter, which is also located in the immediate neighborhood of the palace and the connected park, is today home to the Austrian Jewish Museum and the Burgenland State Museum. Among the best-known names associated with Eisenstadt are the Wolf and Wertheimer families. Every year, numerous Jews make a pilgrimage to the grave of...