Documents about Jewish life in Wesel are found for the first time for the year 1266. Through the persecutions in the context of the Crusades to the plague pogroms around 1350, only individual Jewish families in Wesel can be traced.
. A modest Jewish community had emerged toward the end of the 16th century, and a century later a significant and successful community had developed. Around the year 1900, the maximum number of Jewish citizens was 300 people. They played a significant role in the economic life.

The Berlin-based Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (HWJ) existed as an academic research and study institution from 1872 to 1942. Its purpose was to enable students of all faiths to conduct impartial research on Judaism.

For the summer semester 1930/31, 109 regular students were counted and the library comprised about 55,000, later even 60,000 books. Rabbi Nathan Peter Levinson was one of the last students (along with Leo Trepp and Leo Baeck). In an obituary for one of his teachers, he writes:

In the Munich address book from the year 1913 the following entry can be found : Einstein & Fränkel  ( Inh. Hugo Fränkel und Hugo Bloch ), Getreidegroßhandlung, Maximiliansplatz 22 /2 T.P.

The plot on the Esplanade was purchased by the Jewish community towards the end of the 17th century. Presumably, there has been a Jewish cemetery elsewhere before.

The oldest gravestone dates from 1732.

In the second half of the 19th century a synagogue was built, also the small cemetery was probably created around this time.

Against the house Altenbergstr. 27. Coming from Konz, follow the L 138 through the village, and turn left behind the Aktiv-Markt into the Altenbergstraße (sign). The cemetery is enclosed by a wall, but through the closed gate completely visible.

There are 12 graves from the first decades of the 20th century.

The cemetery is well kept

As of July 2010.