Following the Backyard Photographer to the Jewish Quarter of... (Czernowitz - 2226 km)

(Czernowitz, 02.08.2014 - 08.08.2014) The source of inspiration for my this year's photo shooting was Prof. Dr. Hermann Sternberg's article "On the history of the Jews in Czernowitz" in Hugo Gold's "History of the Jews in the Bukovina", Tel Aviv, 1962: "Also in the period in which the richer Jews had dwellings in the higher part of the city, this area of the city, almost completely inhabited by Jews was called the 'Jewish Quarter.' It included the Bahnhofstrasse (the railroad station was in the Pruth valley), the Springbrunnengasse, the Synagogengasse, the Altplatz (later called Theodor Herzlplatz, the Judengasse as well as the Dreifaltigkeitsgasse to the West and the connecting streets between the two. The first Jewish settlers probably preferred this location, because they could have water without the troublesome and costly work of digging a well. In this area could be found an artesian well after which the adjacent street (Springbrunnengasse) was named. It was a round structure built of sandstone out of whose center, pipes radiated like friendly arms delivered uninterrupted streams of water. One had to bring along a short piece of pipe to direct the water from the outlets into a bucket. This monumental fountain was destroyed when in 1894 modern underground water and sewerage pipes were run through its location. The next generation never got to see it. At the other end of Springbrunnengasse there was another productive fountain which was covered by tastefully designed scrollwork well house which was topped by a half moon which was visible from a great distance. This symbol justified the name, 'Türkenbrunnen' (Turkish Fountain) and indicated that the fountain was built during the time of Turkish rule, that is, before the year 1775, when the Turks turned over Bukovina to the Austrians as thanks for the diplomatic support Austria gave them during the Turkish – Russian war (1768-1764)."