At the latest in the first half of the 18th century, the cemetery of the Jewish community of Oberwesel was established on a site designated as "An der grauen Lay". 68 gravestones are still preserved (Reuter 2007, the monument register, however, mentions 66 stones). (LVR-Redaktion KuLaDig, 2016) The area, which measures approximately 37 x 72 meters, is enclosed by a fence and can be entered through a door with a Star of David. Two main paths in west-east orientation lead to the graves, in addition to six cross-paths. Due to Jewish and Christian beliefs, the dead could not be buried in the city's cemeteries, or in the past, the Jewish community was only given land that could not be farmed. The burial of the dead took place on the remote, wooded area at the "Graue Lay" 2 kilometers northwest of the city. The fact that Oberwesel has a long Jewish history is shown, among other things, by some gravestones that can be dated to the first third of the 18th century. Also, only Hebrew characters can be made out on the gravestones. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that the German written language was applied to the gravestones. However, at the beginning this was exclusively applied on the back of the gravestones, which can make the assignment to the respective grave difficult today at the first moment. Later the writing was also on the front side. The dead were always buried in the family circle. An impressive example of this is the Seligmann family. The last grave is dated January 25, 1942. In total there are 68 gravestones in 17 rows sloping down to the valley. The fact that some gravestones have toppled over is due to a desecration in 1978. At the foundation of one grave is a memorial plaque dedicated to the fallen of the First World War, when Jews fought on the German side. This was placed there after the destruction of the synagogue. The age of the graves can also be determined by the materials used. Older gravestones have sandstone, slate or basalt slabs, whereas younger ones are made of basalt or marble and have memorial plaques made of polished granite. The area is partly quite overgrown and the gravestones are difficult to read due to weathering. Today, the cemetery is under monument protection, the area "Jewish Cemetery Oberwesel northwest of Oberwesel at the Grauen Lay" is designated as a monument zone (Denkmalverzeichnis Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis 2014, p. 49) and is part of the hiking trail "Schwede-Bure-Tour". (Kira Bublies, Universtiät Koblenz-Landau, 2016)