Jewish community raft

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The Jewish Community raft was to 2 April 1942, the Jewish community of raft . It was located in the only Bavarian Jewish ghetto , the Judenberg in Floß.

history

Judenberg raft

Prehistory to the 16th century

Probably some Jewish families lived in Floß temporarily as early as the Middle Ages. In any case, Jews lived in the vicinity of Floß as early as the 14th century, namely in Weiden, Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Pleystein, Eschenbach, Pfreimd, Luhe, Leuchtenberg and perhaps also in Vohenstrauss.

In the Salbuch of 1416/1440, a Jewish tax of ten guilders per year is listed for every Jew living in the Floß rulership and in the Floß market.

In 1505, Floß was added to the newly founded Wittelsbach principality of Young Palatinate . At that time it was ruled by Count Palatine and Elector Philipp (Palatinate) .

In 1556, Elector Ottheinrich forbade Jews to stay in the Electoral Palatinate, Upper Palatinate and Palatinate-Neuburg (= Young Palatinate).

In the Salbuch von Flossenbürg and Floß from the end of the 16th century, this expulsion of the Jews from the Palatinate was written (literally):

"If the Jews with the residence Jetziger Zeytt in the Palatinate are not more patient, Felt of it kain steur, is also kainer with being (property) in this creation."

Jewish customs were levied on Jews traveling through: 14 pfennigs per pedestrian, 28 pfennigs per rider. From 1586: 15 cruisers per pedestrian, 20 cruisers per rider.

17th century

In 1614 part of the Young Palatinate became the newly founded Duchy of Palatinate-Sulzbach . To Pfalz-Sulzbach belonged the offices Sulzbach, Floß and part of the office Parkstein-Weiden. In 1656, Pfalz-Sulzbach became independent, sovereign, imperial territory through the Neuburg main settlement. This means that the ruler of Pfalz-Sulzbach only had real sovereignty over his area since 1656. This ruler had been Count Palatine Christian August since 1632 . From 1656 he became Duke of Palatinate-Sulzbach through the Neuburg main settlement.

From this point on, Christian August was able to realize his own ideas in Pfalz-Sulzbach, even if they contradicted the rule of Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate. In contrast to his peers, Christian August was a tolerant ruler and was interested in theology, Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah and the Hebrew language. In his territories he abolished the principle that the subjects had to take over the religion of their ruler ( Cuius regio, eius religio ). From then on, the people in Pfalz-Sulzbach were allowed to decide for themselves which religion they wanted to belong to. Christian August also allowed Jews to settle in the Duchy of Pfalz-Sulzbach. In 1666 some Jews who had fled Vienna were allowed to settle in the royal seat of Sulzbach . Christian August supported them in 1669 in founding a Hebrew printing company, which was one of the most important Jewish printing companies in Europe until the 19th century.

In 1672 an attempt by the Jews expelled from Vienna to settle in Floß failed. They had sent a request to the ducal court in Sulzbach on this matter.

In 1684, Prince Ferdinand August von Lobkowitz expelled the Jews from Neustadt an der Waldnaab and the Jewish community in Neustadt an der Waldnaab was dissolved. In 1684 four Jewish families expelled from Neustadt an der Waldnaab settled in Floß. They were the brothers Enoch and Hirsch Maier and the brothers Eysisch and Nathan Feyfaß, each with their families. They founded the Jewish community in Floß. Christian August granted permission for this on the condition that they pay a certain amount of money annually as protection money. These four Jewish families initially lived in rented apartments in Floß. After their residence permit, which was only valid for one year, had expired, a first letter of protection was issued to them in 1685. He was referring primarily to Jewish trade and their relationship with Christian craftsmen. Its exact wording can be read in the online book Magnus Weinberg : History of the Jews in the Upper Palatinate: Duchy Sulzbach (Sulzbach u. Floss) .

The Jews bought an uncultivated field from master tailor Johann Harrer. On May 10, 1687, they managed to get permission from the government in Sulzbach to build four houses on this field. So in 1687 they settled on the Harreschen Acker, up on the north bank of the raft, and built four houses there. Since this parcel was lendable to the Waldsassen monastery , the Jewish community had to pay annual tithes to this monastery. Until the middle of the 19th century, only Jews, not Christians, settled on this hill. Settling Jews down in Markt Floß was also prohibited until the middle of the 19th century. This hill, which was separated from the Floß market by a steep step about 10 meters high, was then called Judenberg. The first official mention of the Judenberg took place in 1736. Thus a purely Jewish ghetto was created on the Judenberg , which also formed an independent community politically until 1870.

Due to the closed and isolated situation of the Jewish community in Floß, there were wild disputes between the community members, between the community and its rabbis, between the community and the authorities, between the Jewish community of Judenberg and the Christian community of Markt Floß. The Floßer Jewish community was known for its wild addiction to argument. The details of the battles fought can be read online in Magnus Weinberg : History of the Jews in the Upper Palatinate: Duchy of Sulzbach (Sulzbach u. Floss) . But, although the community treated its rabbis very badly, there were always many applicants for the rabbi office in Floß. In addition, in 1804 almost all families were related by blood. Only when the laws of 1861, 1868/69 and 1871 lifted the isolation and the Jews were granted freedom of establishment and occupation, did the situation begin to ease. Christians settled on the Judenberg, Jews moved down to the Floß market and in 1893 even the rabbi of the Floß Jewish community, Israel Wittelshöfer, was made an honorary citizen of Floß.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Jews were prohibited from owning cattle, even chickens. They were not allowed to practice any trade and were not admitted to the universities. That is why they only had the trade to make a living. The Jews of Floß traded in wool, cloth, yarn, hides, hides and agricultural products. In order to curb competition between the Jewish families, a government ordinance in 1719 assigned each family a trading district. Sometimes even this trade was prohibited in some areas due to pressure from the craft guilds.

In 1686 a ritual bath was built on Schiffgasse , which was expanded in 1730.

In 1692 the Jewish community acquired a burial site on the eastern outskirts of Floß and surrounded it with a wall. From 1692 this property was used as a burial place not only for the Jews from Floß, but also for Jews from Schönsee , Waidhaus and Weiden . In 1729, 1754, 1780 and 1806 the cemetery was expanded. In 1794 a Chewra Kadisha (burial brotherhood) was established.

The Jews expelled from Neustadt had brought a Torah scroll with them from their homeland . At first they performed their services in a private room with Moses Hirschl. Due to internal disputes in the Jewish community, Isak Bloch set up a rival synagogue in his house, which was then banned in 1700.

18th century

In 1705 the following were listed as Jewish residents of Floß: Moyses Hirschl, Isackh Plockh, Eysig Feylas, Jacob Davidt, Natan Feylas (the names are given here in the original historical spelling, please do not "correct"). In 1712 the Jewish community had grown to eight families. Again and again government decrees were issued that prohibited the expansion of the community. The aim was to reduce the number of Jews back to the number at the time of settlement. The Christian citizenship of Floß also protested against the increasing number of Jews. Nevertheless, the number of Jews on the Judenberg increased steadily, partly through natural increase, partly through influx from Bohemia. In 1736 the Jews were strictly forbidden from buying and building new houses. The Jews countered this by expanding and dividing the existing houses into several families. There were also regulations that only one child per Jewish family was allowed to settle in Floß and that only single-family houses could be built. All these provisions were handled with great leniency by the Sulzbach government and were not really enforced. In 1745 some Jews expelled from Bohemia were taken into Floß by the Sulzbach government. Even in legal disputes between Jews and Christians, the courts gave the Jews their rights.

A wooden synagogue was built from 1719 to 1722. The construction costs amounted to 233 guilders.

In 1723, residents of the Floß market brought a ritual murder charge against the Jews on the Judenberg .

Here is an example of the disputes between the Floßer Jewish community and their rabbis:

At the time of Rabbi Jakob ben Moses Dörnberger, around the year 1768, the following happened (literally after Magnus Weinberg in History of the Jews in the Upper Palatinate: Duchy of Sulzbach (Sulzbach and Floss) ):

"On the second day of a major religious festival, a Jewish society organized a ball for both sexes. Rabbi Jakob was deeply indignant about such an act, which was unheard of for the time, and he declared the main culprits under the spell."

The parishioners of the Jewish community in Floß protested so vigorously that the rabbi was forced to lift the ban. In 1927, the chronicler Magnus Weinberg still supported Rabbi Jakob in this story.

In 1794, the Floßer Jewish community built a rabbi apartment against the violent protests of the Floßer Catholic pastor and the Christian community of Floß.

19th century

Elector Maximilian and his First Minister Montgelas tried to establish an efficient and modern state administration in Bavaria. As part of these efforts, he called on the Upper Palatinate authorities to make suggestions for improving the civil conditions of the Jews. In 1800 there were 42 Jewish households in Floß. The Floß nursing office made u. a. following suggestions:

  • Introduction of public German schools with normal curriculum
  • Training of Jewish elementary teachers
  • Prohibition of keeping trade books in Hebrew
  • Obligation of the Jewish youth to wander
  • Transferring individual Jews to places where the increase in residents or occupations is desired
  • Equality of their rights and duties with other citizens
  • Abolition of their special case law
  • Determination of a minimum age for married people
  • Assigning lands to them for cultivation and cultivation
  • Limitation of the number of wandering begging Jews
  • Use for conscription (military service)
  • Accustoming women, who spend some of their time walking around and drinking coffee and sometimes ruining their husbands, to domesticity
  • Holding German instead of Hebrew sermons

Since their settlement in 1684, an annual protection fee has been levied for each member of the Jewish community, which was felt to be considerable oppression and led to many disputes within the community and with the authorities. In 1808 this protection money was canceled by the Amberg finance department. However, a fee of 87 guilders 40 kreuzers was ordered for every citizen admission of a Jew.

While it used to be forbidden for Jews to build new houses, from the beginning of the 19th century it was seen as a preference for permission to apply for protection when building a house of their own. The aim was for every family to have their own fireplace, better still a whole house.

The incumbent Rabbi Horowitz created a birth, marriage and death register in 1808 by order of the authorities. This was now listed as a state-recognized matriculation.

The rabbis' legal rights were restricted. They only retained the decision for disputed objects up to 15 guilders. From 1809 the new Bavarian court system formed the basis for their decisions.

School system

Freiherr von Lichtenstern worked with great energy to improve living conditions in Floß and on the Judenberg. In his opinion, the lack of education was the cause of many internal disputes. He founded the Jewish elementary school in 1810. On March 31, 1812, a school assistant was hired for the Catholic school in Floß in addition to the local Catholic teacher. From then on, the 115 to 120 Catholic children received lessons for a few hours a day and the Jewish children for a few hours, there were 14 boys and 23 girls. The Jewish community turned down the offer to employ a Jewish elementary teacher, preferring a Christian teacher. A room in Podewils Castle was rented to teach the Jewish children. Classes for Christian children soon took place there. In 1814, the Floß community built a school building in which a classroom was also made available for the Jewish children. Here the Jewish children were taught by a Christian teacher at the request of the Jewish community. It was not until 1878 that they got a Jewish teacher. The Jewish elementary school was closed on September 1, 1921 due to insufficient student numbers.

In 1824 there was a religious school and from 1878 to 1921 an Israelite elementary school. In 1812 there were four private tutors in the Jewish community in Floß.

New synagogue building

In 1813, Floß was hit by a major fire which also destroyed the wooden synagogue and many houses on the Judenberg. Seven Torah scrolls were saved from the fire.

The Neustädter district judge Karl Franz Reisner Freiherr von Lichtenstern (born August 12, 1776 in Treswitz Castle; † March 24, 1866 in Amberg), major of the vigilante group, united state power in his person. He used this power of his to rebuild Raft in a modern way. Through rigorous expropriation of the land, he created a new, clear local structure with wide, straight streets and clear division. He only allowed brick houses to curb the fire hazard. Together with his architect Johann Daniel Tauber, he also planned the new development of the Judenberg. For the burned down wooden synagogue he had a new brick synagogue built according to plans by the architect Johann Daniel Tauber . This construction cost the Jewish community 12,000 guilders and was completed in 1817. There were tough battles over a liturgically motivated extension, a so-called Pallisch . This synagogue vestibule was built by the Jewish community as part of these fighting, demolished by the local government, and then rebuilt under the protection of the district government. After all, it was completely torn down by the Nazis during the November pogroms in 1938 and was not rebuilt during the 1980 and 2005 restorations.

Of course, Lichtenstern's rigorous approach created many enemies. Even the Jews from Raft would have preferred to build a cheap and simple synagogue to save money. Today (2016), however, the main street of Floß is called "Freiherr-von-Lichtenstern-Straße", the Floßers enjoy their beautiful, light-flooded village and the synagogue on the Judenberg, which is visible from afar, finds many admirers. The synagogue and the entire former Judenberg ghetto are under monument protection and are considered an "ensemble of European standing".

Incorporation of the Judenberg community into the Floß community

The Bavarian Jewish edict of 1813 improved the legal position of the Jews from Floß. However, their number has now been limited and should even be reduced by the matriculation paragraph. Regulations on the amount of dowry, the age of marriage and the judicial office of rabbis have been abolished. The 64 Jewish families living in Floß at that time had to choose family names for themselves and were registered with these, their occupation, number of children and assets. The standard number for Raft was then set at 40 Jewish families, but the number of Jewish families did not decrease, instead increasing to 72 families and 20% of the total population of Raft by 1842.

The Jewish community on Judenberg formed an independent political communal community with its own public institutions. She had to pay her own night watchman, fire brigade and poor relief. It had its own house numbering. She had to take care of the paving of her streets and the maintenance of a stretch of the Vizinalstrasse. Until 1817 she had to submit her community bills to the General Commissioner in Bayreuth for examination. In 1819 the ministry learned about the political community in Judenberg from a report by the regional court. On the orders of the ministry, the Jewish community was dissolved and incorporated into the Floß market. The Jews from Floß were happy about this settlement, but not the Christian population from Floß. Due to the ongoing protests from the Christian community in Floß, the decision was reversed in 1824 and the Judenberg became an autonomous political community again. Only the police administration of Floß also applied to the Judenberg. In 1841 a "locality Judenberg" with 42 1/2 houses was recorded in the property tax cadastre and in the property hall and warehouse book of the tax community Floß. It was not until 1851 that two Jewish residents managed to settle in the Christian part of Floß. This Bavarian Jewish Ghetto Judenberg existed as a politically autonomous community contrary to all other regulations of the Bavarian government until 1870. In 1870 the Judenberg was finally incorporated into Floß.

Boom from the middle of the 19th century

In the years 1810 to 1861 the Jewish community in Floß reached its highest level with 72 families, over 300 people and a share of more than 22% of the total population of Floß. This large number of Jews caused fears among the Christian residents of Raft. But then the wave of emigration to North America began and within 10 years the number of Jewish families fell by a third. With the complete civil equality of the Jews in 1871, an emigration to the larger cities began. The economic situation of the remaining Jews improved. Christians bought houses on the Judenberg and, conversely, Jews settled down in the Floß market. The situation relaxed. There was a good and amicable understanding between Jews, Catholics, Protestants and also with the authorities. This development culminated in 1893 with the appointment of Rabbi Israel Wittelshöfer as an honorary citizen of Floß. However, a Christian-Jewish marriage was never entered into in Floß.

In 1851, Floß became district rabbinate and Rabbi Israel Wittelshöfer became district rabbi. From 1851 he looked after the Jewish community of Sulzbach with the district rabbinate raft, which was followed by the Jewish communities of Amberg (1872), Cham and Weiden. He also looked after individual Jewish families in Erbendorf, Tirschenreuth, Mitterteich, Waldsassen, Waidhaus, Kemnath, Windischeschenbach, Teunz, Schönsee and Frankenreuth.

In 1874, House Judenberg No. 31 was set up as a community and rabbi house.

Israel Wittelshöfer was the last rabbi from Floß. When he died in 1896 there were fewer than 73 Jews in Raft. The Jewish community of Floß was initially assigned to the Bayreuth Rabbinate, then to the Regensburg District Rabbinate , which was headed by Magnus Weinberg .

20th century to the present

1900 to 1945

In 1902 the Jewish community of Floß had 10 male members from Floß and 29 non-residents.

Anti-Semitic riots and desecrations of the cemetery took place in Raft during the Weimar period. The National Socialists found enthusiastic supporters in Raft, such as B. Richard Baer Commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp . Since 1933 there have been calls for boycotts against Jews, intimidation of customers in Jewish shops, children incited by teachers who pelt stones at Jews, and other hostilities. Non-Jewish citizens who were friends with and supported Jews were massively intimidated.

In view of these conditions, it was very courageous that the Jewish community in Floß celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1934. During the November pogrom in 1938 , the Jewish Rafts families Ansbacher, Eisemann, Steinhardt and Wilmersdörfer were brutally mistreated by the Nazis, locked in prison and two men were brought to the Dachau concentration camp . Of the 27 Jews who were still living in Floß in 1933, 15 people were able to emigrate by 1942, two died and six moved to other places. Some of the emigrants and five of those who moved away were caught up with and murdered by the Nazis. On April 2, 1942, the last two Jewish couples remaining in Floß were deported to Piaski near Lublin and the Theresienstadt concentration camp and murdered.

1945 to the present

A total of 29 Jews from Raft were murdered by the Nazis. A Jew from Raft survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp , but contracted a serious illness there, which he succumbed to in 1951 in Kibbutz Ginegar in Israel .

90 Jews came to Floß as Displaced Persons in 1945. They formed a new Jewish community that gathered to pray in the house of the deported Jewish couple Karoline and Hugo Wilmersdörfer. They set up a kibbutz on a farm where they prepared for their emigration to Israel. Of these 90 Jews, all but one Jew left Floßer who married a Floßer girl. But he too moved away from Floß to Munich in 1956.

In 1997 the Jewish cemetery of Floß was desecrated. 44 tombstones were overturned.

In 1999, a detailed concept was drawn up at the University of Bayreuth for a Jewish museum in Floß in the old nursing home and its historically valuable outbuildings. In connection with the memorial in the former Flossenbürg concentration camp, this Jewish museum was intended to give school classes and interested tourists access to the relatively well-preserved witnesses of Jewish life in Floß, namely the former Jewish ghetto Judenberg, the synagogue and the Jewish cemetery. This project obviously came to nothing, because the old care lock in Floß now (2016) includes a music school in some rooms on the ground floor, as it did then, while the upper floor is still empty. The outbuildings, which are also historically valuable, are used as garages and storage rooms.

The synagogue in Floß, renovated in 1970 and 2005, is looked after by the Weiden Jewish community . From time to time church services are held here and exhibitions are planned.

Number of Jewish residents in raft

year Number of families Number of people in% of the total population
1684 4 families
1716 8 families
1736 14 families
1759 25 families
around 1770 37 families
1814 64 families
1817 261 people 22%
1840/42 72 families 20%
1848 64 families 385 people
1851 51 families
1861 311 people 21%
1867 288 people 12%
1871 191 people 10%
1875 156 people
1880 119 people
1890 73 people 4%
1900/1910 43 people
1925 8 families 23 people
1933 19 people
1938 11 people
1942 4 people
1943 0 people
1946 90 people
1950 1 person
1957 0 people

Rabbi in raft

The rabbi von Sulzbach looked after the Jewish community in Floß until 1736. From 1736 to 1894 Floß was the seat of a local rabbinate. List of rabbis in raft:

  • 1736–1767 Solomon ben David
  • 1767–1771 Jakob ben Moses Dörnberger from Derenburg in Saxony-Anhalt
  • 1772–1790 Elieser Veit Petschauer from Bohemia
  • 1791–1799 Isaak ben Secharja Fränkel
  • 1800–1813 David Hessel Horowitz rabbi, prayer leader and slaughterer in Floß
  • 1813–1840 Moses Wittelshöfer from Baiersdorf
  • 1840–1896 Israel Wittelshöfer, son of Moses Wittelshöfer, last rabbi in Floß

Significant members of the Raft Jewish community

literature

Web links

Commons : Ensemble of the former Jewish quarter in Floß (Upper Palatinate)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Renate Höpfinger: The Jewish community of Floß , commemorative publication for the Nordgau days 1972–2012 online
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g http: //www.jüdische-gemeinden.de/index.php/gemeinden/eg/623-floss-oberpfalz-bayern
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Renate Höpfinger: The Jewish community of Floß in Michael Brenner (ed.), Renate Höpfinger (ed.): The Jews in the Upper Palatinate , Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag (December 1, 2008), ISBN 978- 3486586787 , pp. 87-103
  4. ^ Adolf Wolfgang Schuster : 1000 Years of Floss , 1976, Verlag Marktgemeinde Floss, p. 67
  5. ^ Adolf Wolfgang Schuster: 1000 Years of Floss , 1976, Verlag Marktgemeinde Floss, p. 110
  6. ↑ a b http://www.floss.de/web14268.htm
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Magnus Weinberg : History of the Jews in the Upper Palatinate / 5: Duchy of Sulzbach (Sulzbach and Floss) , Munich: Ewer-Buchhandl., 1927, online: Archived copy ( memento of the original from January 17, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o http://www.alemannia-judaica.de/floss_synagoge.htm
  9. ↑ a b c d e Archive link ( Memento of the original from January 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ikg-bayern.de
  10. ↑ Adolf Wolfgang Schuster : History of the community Flossenbürg , 1990, Sprintler Druck und Verlag GmbH, ed. Municipality Flossenbürg, Volume I, p. 450
  11. ↑ a b c Hans-Christoph Dittscheid: The synagogue buildings of the Upper Palatinate from the Middle Ages to the modern age. Losses - discoveries - interpretations in Michael Brenner (ed.), Renate Höpfinger (ed.): The Jews in the Upper Palatinate , Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag (December 1, 2008), ISBN 978-3486586787 , pp. 34–41
  12. ^ Historical Atlas of Bavaria, Altbayern, Issue 47, Heribert Sturm: Neustadt an der Waldnaab Weiden , Commission for Bavarian State History, Verlag Michael Lassleben, Kallmünz, 1978, ISBN 3769699122 , p. 431
  13. ↑ a b http://www.synagogenprojekt.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:floss&catid=50:gemeinden-in-schlaglichtern&Itemid=56
  14. ↑ University of Bayreuth, series of publications by the Institute for Research into Contemporary Religious Culture, eds. Christoph Bochinger and Wolfgang Schobert, Volume 2: Home and Foreign - Use Concept for a Jewish Museum and a Conference Center in the "Old Care Castle " in Floß / Upper Palatinate , report on a teaching research project , Edited by Christine Regulator in collaboration with Claudia Abt, Gregor Dobler, Silvia Guhr under the direction of Christoph Bochinger and Till Förster, Bayreuth, May 1999, online: http://www.religion.uni-bayreuth.de/de/Personen_und_Kontakt/ Professors / Bochinger_Christoph / Publications / Booklet-2-Controller.pdf
  15. ↑ http://www.onetz.de/deutschland-und-die-welt-r/lokales/familieausstellung-auf-der-empore-d281667.html
  16. ^ Historical Atlas of Bavaria, Altbayern, Issue 47, Heribert Sturm: Neustadt an der Waldnaab Weiden , Commission for Bavarian State History, Verlag Michael Lassleben, Kallmünz, 1978, ISBN 3769699122 , p. 431
  17. ^ Historical Atlas of Bavaria, Altbayern, Issue 47, Heribert Sturm: Neustadt an der Waldnaab Weiden , Commission for Bavarian State History, Verlag Michael Lassleben, Kallmünz, 1978, ISBN 3769699122 , p. 431